


On the Move

by toraty



Category: Actually Stephen, DanPlan, Danplan (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF, actuallyoddplan
Genre: "after vidcon", Airplane Crash (Outside POV), Angst, Angst (?), Comfort, Doctor - Freeform, Gen, Hospital, Medical Care, Medical Personnel - Freeform, Other Characters - Freeform, Paralysis, Roadtrip, Shopping, Surveillance, This is my first fic and i'm having a hard time tagging, Wild animal encounter, a weapon is found, alcohol use, cursing, emotional/mental hurt, its not all heavy there's light moments too, like if you squint - Freeform, maybe slight stephen/hosuh, maybe squinting's not required, mention of burnt flesh/corpses, moment of rage, no beta we die like men, spin off of the last humans on earth video, violent action
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 32,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21703825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toraty/pseuds/toraty
Summary: The DanPlan crew is taking off from vidcon and head to the airport. The busyness of the airport is at low levels.Nothing to be worried about, right?[COMPLETED]
Relationships: Hosuh Lee & Stephen Ng, Hosuh Lee/Stephen Ng, Jay Ko & Hosuh Lee & Daniel Lim & Stephen Ng
Comments: 93
Kudos: 221





	1. To the Airport

**Author's Note:**

> It's an attempt at writing, i'll give you that.  
> Hope you enjoy whatever this was.

The Vidcon trip was finally coming to an end. Everybody had packed their bags, ready for their long descent to their homes. The only step now was to head for the airport and wait. Wait as the minutes' tick by, slowly approaching the moment boarding is called. 

Yet, even with the whole day to spare, everybody’s flights were in the early morning. The latest flight taking off at around 7 am. 

Why were the flights so early? Cheaper prices. But they always came at the cost of the good ol’ sleep schedule. 

So, as every passenger knows, you get to the airport 3 hours earlier. Groans were heard all around, but everybody moved about, trying their best to get themselves out of Ben’s hair. Joe had left the night before. Ben was only a drive away from his place but was so kind as to take them to the airport, sparing Dan’s wallet from further spending. Thus, the boys finally find themselves waiting at the airport after a swift farewell from Ben. 

For an airport in California, it was pretty empty, even at this hour. But nobody was complaining really. The customs line was a quick detour, but the boys were finally able to rest and catch up on some sleep. Dan went to stake out a spot of seats that looked comfortable for the whole gang. Hosuh and Stephen went looking for some food for breakfast. And Jay quickly passed out on the seat, with no future consideration of his neck. In that awkward position, it would be a miracle if he didn’t get any cramps. 

The other two return with their food to find Dan and Jay passed out, Dan has taken the approach to lie down on the seats. Nobody else was there, so who would bother? 

Hosuh and Stephen sit on rows opposite of each, using the seat next to them as a makeshift table. Its too early in the morning for actual conversation, so they eat in silence.

Hosuh eats his breakfast taco with water, giving small grunts in approval of the flavor. Airport food was not always the tastiest, but when you’re out of your element, anything can taste like a five-star meal. 

Meanwhile, Stephen settled for something lighter, a breakfast bar. Air travel was not kind to his body and he took any precautions needed for a smooth and uneventful flight. The best-case scenario is a flight that he sleeps through the whole way. Worst case, he takes multiple trips to the bathroom and turbulence is rampant. But there’s no better preparation than the present. So, he silently eats his small breakfast, promising himself a hearty lunch after landing.

When the two finally finished eating, they cleaned and returned to their spots, preparing themselves for a quick nap before boarding was called. Hosuh, not leaving it up to chance, sets an alarm for one hour. He would rather be grumpy and safe for the flight than risk it and be sorry and have missed it. With that, he leans back and finally dozes off, dreading the sound of his alarm but taking any opportunity to sleep. 

Or so he thought. His bladder was uncomfortable, and he needed to go. The urge to pee was unbearable and he could not put it off any longer. Looking at his phone in defeat, he sees he had an extra 30 minutes before it would sound. Groaning in complete dismay, Hosuh took his groggy body to the nearest bathroom, careful to be quiet around the sleeping beauties. Luckily, the signs for the bathrooms were clear and not confusing like other airports, but something was off. The low rumbling was gone, and the occasional janitor was nowhere to be found. He couldn’t dwell on that thought for long, as his bladder was crying for help. 

Hosuh finally goes and washes his hands after finishing, seeing some janitorial instruments around the corner in the bathroom. Somebody had been there and that provided some relief. The early morning and the airport atmosphere were playing tricks on his mind. He exits and returns to their spot. Once again, nobody was around, and lobby music played eerily in the background. 

Seeing that he had 20 minutes left, he tried for a powernap at the most to help him get through the boarding process. That was until he looked out the window.  
It happened so quick. A plane had glided onto the runway with little finesse. No landing gear insight. The muffled metal screeching on asphalt filled the air for a couple of seconds before the worse came. The plane had collided with another stationary plane, the sound of the crash deafening. The ball of fire disappearing as quickly as it appeared, leaving a trail of smoke to its destroyed remains. The glass was cracked at some places and broken at others, but the destruction was still there for the viewing. 

Hosuh’s voice was caught in his throat. He wanted to scream but nothing came out. The others had just been stirred, being jolted from their sleep by the piercing sounds and rumbling shockwave. Stephen received the worst of it, having fallen to the floor. Dan and Jay could only look in bewilderment at the sight, shock numbing their minds. 

Yet, being so close to a tragedy of this magnitude, it was dead silent in the airport.


	2. Up in Smoke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plane crashes and the crew deals with the crisis.   
> Some move, some stay. 
> 
> A talk is had and are there revelations to be made?

“What the hell? Is this real?” 

Stephen couldn’t believe his eyes. Lying on the ground, the sight before him paralyzed. The dimming glow of the fire was being encapsulated by the black smoke. No one else replied and they were all frozen in their tracks. Finally shaking off the shock, Stephen looks around, hoping to see some airport authorities to help settle the situation. 

Except there was nobody. No announcements. No officers. Everything stood still. 

The four of them were alone. 

“Hey, get up. Let’s not stick around for long or we’re going to end up flambéed just from the surrounding heat.” Stephen says to get his friend going. Dan and Jay finally snap out of it. They grab their stuff and start fiddling with their phones. Hosuh, on the other hand, was still standing there, eyes glued to the monstrous sight. He barely moved, almost as if he stopped breathing for a minute. 

Stephen breaks his trance, grabbing his shoulder, “Hey, let's get out here.” Hosuh finally inhales and turns around. He starts to gather his stuff as well, but his movements are sluggish. Stephen says nothing of it and grabs his things. 

Retrieving his phone from his pocket, he attempts to call his family. There was still service, but nothing came of it. The line rung for minutes but nobody answered. Not his mom. Not his dad. None of his siblings. 

“Nobody answered the phone for you too?” Jay asks. 

Stephen can only nod, still trying to make sense of it all. His mother was a light sleeper and his siblings always had their phones nearby. Even if it was somewhat early in the morning, the likelihood of nobody answering was unsettling. 

“Same here. I’m going to try calling again in a bit though. Could be a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I mean, look at us.” Dan interjected with a small chuckle, a feeble attempt of lightening the mood, but it fails. 

Stephen dismisses the man and just looks around in disbelief. Nobody was around. They were the only bodies that were around in this huge airport. Service desks were empty. Trash was strewed about over the seats and the floor. A trashcan had been knocked down, most likely from the shockwave of the crash. A crackly song could barely be heard from the intercom system, lyrics unintelligible. Random pieces of luggage littered the waiting areas. Yet, there were no humans. 

“I just tried calling Ben and Jo but got no answer,” Dan mentions. 

Great. Another punch to the gut. Nobody was answering their calls, not even their friends who they had just seen a couple of hours ago. The uneasiness was beginning to loom higher than before. 

Jay, finding the situation senseless, decided to venture about a little bit. Surely there had to be someone, anyone really, on the premises. There’s no logical explanation for a mass disappearance. There had to be some clues that could help them trace where everybody had gone. Maybe they slept through the evacuation alarms. Maybe a gas leak had happened and was making them hallucinate the whole situation. Surely there had to be somebody out there. 

Dan, not particularly fond of the idea of splitting up, left after Jay. He would rather that nobody was left by themselves, as solitude can play tricks on the mind. That and they didn’t need to risk the chance of losing another person, either to mysterious circumstances or through an unfortunate accident. 

“Stick with Hosuh. I’m going to keep Jay company and bring him back after he calms down. Nothing’s making sense and it seems like it getting to him. I have my phone, so call if anything happens. It shouldn’t take long.” With that, Dan quickly rounded the corner and was gone. 

Before Stephen could even reply, he was left alone, talking to open space. Grumbling at the slight change of plans, he returns his focus to Hosuh. And he’s not looking too good. 

\--

Hosuh had his head in his hand, sitting and leaning over at an extreme angle. He was stuck there, barely any movement coming about. It took Stephen getting a little closer to see Hosuh breathe. Shallow breaths were barely visible, as his back rose and fell just slightly. But Hosuh was still here and alive and that’ what mattered. 

“Hey Hos, relax. I think the worse of the situation has gone already and we just have to make do now.” Stephen’s reassurance absolutely lowballs the situation, but it was an attempt. He’s met with silence and the occasional gasp for air. Taking a hint, Stephen remains silent and waits by Hosuh’s side. Not knowing much else to do in distressful situations, he does what his mother had done when he was in a tight spot. Stephen cautiously rubs Hosuh’s back, massaging circles in a light motion. Stephen continues the massage for minutes, but it seems like hours. But when Hosuh’s breathing stabilizes, Stephen’s nerves calm down the anxiety of seeming too overbearing. 

“You didn’t see it.” Hosuh finally speaks, barely a whisper but a response, nonetheless. 

Stephen, not wanting to break the atmosphere, continues rubbing, but he leans in to listen better. 

“Not when the plane finally touched down. Not when the plane crashed. Not when it blew up. And you especially didn’t see it when it was gliding. Autopilot can only take a plane so far. That plane was being flown by a pilot. Yet the landing gear wasn’t used.”

“Maybe it got jammed. Accidents do happen.” Stephen quietly replied. 

“Maybe so. But an accident of that size doesn’t go unnoticed for long. Procedures are in place for a reason. And why would the pilot risk so many lives?”

No reply could ever answer such a nuanced question. All Stephen could say was, “I don’t know.”

“But the thing that gets me the most is the smell.” 

The smell? Stephen was surprised at this addition and was about to ask. 

“I didn’t smell any burnt flesh or meat. Nothing human to it.” Hosuh added. 

Recounting back to the smoke that billowed in the sky, Stephen recalls only the smells of fuel and oil and all parts to an airplane. Yet Hosuh was right. There was nothing inherently human to the smell. He’s read articles about disastrous plane crashes, and witnesses always remembered the vile smell of burnt human. No matter how far they were, the smell of burning flesh and dead human was always present when these crashes occurred. The smell would spread and leave a vile taste in people’s mouths for miles. 

Yet, this crash was different. The smell was bearable, but nothing could compare to that of burnt human flesh.

Stephen’s eyes widened at the implication. 

With his anxiety rising, Stephen returns his hand to his personal space, beginning to fidget furiously with his hands. His mind became numb and one hand continued to fidget while the other forcefully grabbed his knee, attempting to root himself from wandering off. 

\--

From a distance, Jay can be heard shouting. It's muffled until he’s finally reached the spot.

“Hey! Grab your stuff. We found a ride to get us out of here.” 

Jay jingles a set of keys to snap Hosuh and Stephen out of their thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all i got so far. 
> 
> This was based off a dream but I don't know how much more I can add. 
> 
> Like i said, I'll try my best. 
> 
> Once again, feedback would be appreciated.


	3. Just Our Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We return to Jay and Dan and their hunt for clues. 
> 
> Can logic prevail or will they crumble under pressure?

“Come on, come on. There has to be someone here.”

Jay diligently looks through the empty lobbies, the abandoned counters, the silent breakrooms. There were no signs of panic throughout the airport. Everything seemed orderly and in place. The only thing missing were the humans. 

“JAY! JAY! WAIT UP! JAY!” Dan finally catches the man’s attention. “Jay, buddy, you got to slow down and think rationally. We can’t risk getting too split up. For the sake of the group and our sanity. Let’s go back to the others and figure somethi- Jay? Hey, are you listening to me?” The blond was staring into space. 

“Not really, but I did take your advice. Think rationally.” Jay replies and directs Dan’s attention to the ceiling. With a bulky fixture high above their heads, he sees the blinking red light. Security cameras. 

“Just because it seems illogical doesn’t mean it can’t be caught on camera. Come on, let’s find the surveillance room.” With that, Jay leads the way to the restricted areas. Dan follows suit, finding that glimmer of hope to help answer their questions. 

American airports do not mess around. When the two finally got around the hospitable fronts, the secured entries were no joke. Multiple locks and card scanners littered the one door that was their ticket to behind the scenes. 

With no other available option to get through the door (thick metal door with hinges that wouldn’t budge), Dan and Jay backtracked, splitting up and raiding the desks to see if there were some keys left behind. 

But drawer after drawer, only papers, and confiscated items could be found. The computers were no help, as each of them would be locked. The only thing that could have been remotely helpful was some car keys Dan found, left in a storage bin. These security desks were just for show. 

Dan, finishing the last of his inspection, heads over to Jay, only to see the exasperation take form, as papers fly above his head. “No luck over here. Hey, let's take a break. We got time til—”

Jay slams his fists on the desks, shaking all its contents. “Do we though?! Do we?! How do we know we’re not going to disappear next? Why are we the only ones here? Like, how can you be so sure?”

Dan remains silent, until his eyes finally perk up, meeting Jay’s eyes of tired desperation. “I’m not. It's scary but you got to look at the positives. Any one of us could have been left here alone, facing complete solitude. But we still got each other to help power through. Plus, I would say we’re about to discover another positive. Look at the screen.”

Jay turns his head away from his friend, and towards the screen. Black and white. Grainy texture. A rudimentary system for an airport. But there it was, their answer to their predicament. An unlocked computer with access to the cameras. 

“Holy shit…” Jay immediately whips the mouse into action, fuddling with the controls and finding the recordings or a scrubber. 

“Look! There’s Hosuh and Stephen in this panel. That could be our frame of reference.” Dan points out. 

“Alright. Alright. I think I got the hang of this now… What time is it?” “8:13.” 

Looking at his watch, Jay nods “Okay, so this is current footage and not a recording. But if we scrub it back to…” Jay falls silent as he concentrates on finding a suitable time to start at. The system was definitely an older generation, as buffers riddled the camera panels when scrubbing back, but this was out on the floor, so it can be expected. “I’m aiming for 5:30. I think that’s when I settled down for my nap and was the last time I saw a face besides your ugly mug.” Jay chuckles. 

“Shut up. Same goes for you too.” Dan lightly smacks the top of his head, but he’s glad that Jay’s laughing. He’s loosening up from all the stress. 

“That should do it. I got this thing on 2x fast-forwarding to help speed things along, but not too fast so we don’t miss any major gaps.” Jay stated.  
With that, the two of them eye the screen, barely blinking. Taking in all the movements from somewhat detailed specks that were other humans, they left nothing to chance. A whole hour scrubs by and humans are still about. Hosuh was beginning to stir onscreen.

“It can’t be that far off. Surely, we must be getting closer.” Jay mentions under his breath. 

Past Hosuh starts to get up and heads away from the group. Few people are around albeit quite ways away. Hosuh enters the bathroom and –

_BWOOHM!_

The screen shuts off. All the lights that were on are gone. Only natural light fills the area, having a softer glow than before. 

“What?!? Nononono. No. This can’t be happening.” Jay gets frantic, clicking the keyboards and mouse, futile attempts to turn the computer back on. 

_Brrrrmm._

A low hum starts up, and the lights turn back on, although noticeably dimmer than before. “Backup generator must’ve finally kicked in.” Dan reasoned, uncertainty strangling his voice. 

The two return their attention to the computer. Hitting the power button, they wait for it to start up. It’s agony waiting for the old desktop to whir back to life. Finally, the starting screen pops up. 

[Click any key]

 _Done._

[Enter the passcode]

_Fuck._

**“Goddamnit!”** It was Dan’s turn to have a moment of rage. “We were so close. So close. And then this shit happens! Fuck!” With a quick wind-up motion of his leg, Dan kicks a small filing cabinet to the floor, busting open its drawers and papers scattered in succession. 

Jay has never seen Dan this pissed off and he begins to worry as Dan becomes increasingly violent towards his surroundings. Not knowing much else to do, Jay panics and attempts to bring his friend back to his senses. 

“Hey… Dan…” Dan recklessly turns his attention to Jay. “ **WH—** ” 

_SLAP!_

Dan clutches his cheek, stunned at what just happened. Before he could even process the pain, Jay grabbed his shoulders and shook for a solid five seconds. 

“Get ahold of yourself. This isn’t you Dan. What happened to looking for the positives?” The shaking subsides and silence surrounds them. Jay keeps a hold on Dan, only letting go when he sees his friend finally regain his composure. 

“Feeling better?” Jay asks. 

Dan nods, guilt causing him to stray from the man’s eyes. “Yeah. Sorry for losing my cool.”

“No, no. I get it. It's frustrating but we can’t devolve to just mindless violence. That gets nothing accomplished. I’m just glad you took it out on that filing cabinet instead of me.” Jay replies. 

“And yet, you slapped me.” Dan chortled.

“Hey, I always wanted to slap some sense into somebody. That and I panicked.” Jay confesses.

“Oh really, asshole?” Dan snickers

“Yes, and I can admit my mistakes when they happen.”

The two of them snort at the ridiculousness that transpired, elevating the mood but reality began to seep back in.

“Okay. So, staying here is a dead end now. Not much we can get from here. We don’t know the area whatsoever and the closest building apart from this airport would be like a day away on foot. We can’t drive without any keys and I doubt anyone of us can hotwire a car, much less break into one cleanly. Maybe we can use one of those golf—Hey! Where you going?!” Jay shouts. 

“I think there’s something that can help us.” 

Dan races to the security desk a couple of meters away. Frantically sorting through the mess he made earlier, he finally finds the once-discarded treasure. 

Jay finally catches up to him. “Whatcha you got there?”

Taking out the keys and tossing them to Jay, Dan begins to read the information sheet paired with them. “Dropped off… picked by… License plate… ah, there it is. Vehicle make. So we’re looking for a… Coachmen Leprechaun? Ever heard of that?”

“Nope. Probably an American car brand we’ve never heard of.” Jay answered. 

“Oh, Americans. Well, we’re going to find out. The paper says it’s in Lot C and I remember Ben dropping us off near Lot D. So, we have a good chance of finding this car and getting out of here.”

“Ye, yea, yeah. I like where this is going. Let’s go get the other two and find this damn car.”

“You go on ahead. I’m going to scavenge around here a little more and see if there’s anything else we can use or bring for our way out.” Dan replied. 

“Alright. Shouldn’t take that long to get the others, so I’ll be back in a bit.” With that, Jay started heading off in a slight jog, the sound of jingling keys getting fainter by the second. 

Dan went straight to work. He looked and rustled through all the drawers, finding a flashlight and pepper spray in plain view. A little more jiggling to ease his mind in finding all things useful until he heard a heavy thumping noise from the last drawer. Shaking it quickly, he saw the floorboard of the drawer rattle and curious to know the contents beneath, Dan pulls the lid off the secret compartment. 

Before his eyes was a Glock gun. He’s seen and heard the gun through the vine and experience, but to see it out in the open essentially filled him with unease. On one hand, the use of it would be very minimal if they really were the only ones around. But, if they weren’t alone, it would come in handy for defense. Dan, somewhat torn at the prospect of carrying a risky weapon, comes to his final conclusion. He takes the gun and makes sure it's on safety before anything else. Once he’s assured the gun won’t go off, he takes out the magazine and any bullets that may have been loaded. With that done, he separates the two components into his pockets. 

Not a threat now but a tool for later. 

“Yo Dan. I got the other two. Find anything?” Jay shouts in the distance, with Hosuh and Stephen trailing behind in a dismal mood. 

“Yeah! I’ll show you what I got when we find the car.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, thank you for the comments. You have no idea how much it made my day and how helpful it was for me in getting one of my essays done for finals. I got more to go, but if i plan it right, I should make it on time. 
> 
> So at the expense of my sleep, I giddily wrote another chapter. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it and I really can't wait to write more.


	4. Driving and Doing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew finds the vehicle. 
> 
> Roadtrip ahead...

“You know what? It could’ve been worse.” Dan had said, breaking the silence as COACHMEN stared straight in their direction. 

After a whole hour of incessant beeping, trying to find the Cinderella to their slipper, the crew finally found their ticket out of the infernal airport. The ultimate vehicle for the apocalypse. They type that can take its passengers through thick and thin. Nothing can get in its way. All obstacles tremble in its wake, the perfe-

“You got us an RV, Dan,” Stephen asked. 

“Hey, don’t bite the hand that feeds you. There’s plenty of other cars to choose from, granted you can get it to start.” Dan retorted. 

“Yeah yeah.”

The boys beelined for the entrance, Dan fumbling with the keys, hastily trying to get out of the Californian heat. Hosuh and Jay tried finding any semblance of a shadow from the RV or any other cars around, but the sun was not having it. Stephen hovered around Dan, adding an unnecessary source of heat that radiated from behind. Finally, getting the long-awaited click from the lock, Dan was immediately shoved to the side by his purpled-hair companion. 

“Stephen first.”

“Ah yes, where are my manners? Ladies first, how could I forget.” Dan countered, regaining his footing and opening the door for Stephen with a cheeky bow. Snickers could be heard in the background and Dan relished it. 

“Your face.” 

Jay finally interrupts the two’s jig. “Ey, take the bickering inside once we get the thing started. It's hot, I’m sweaty, and carrying luggage at the same time was stupid. And it doesn’t help that your ramblings from earlier were as loud as they were nonsensical.” Jay interrupted. 

“To let yo— “ 

”Uh-uh, inside.” Jay, with no remorse for Stephen’s argument, shoves him up the stairs into the RV. “Dan, let me see the keys.” A jiggle here and the keys were tossed up, and Jay took no time in starting the engine, a low hum steadying itself. Cranking the ac to maximum strength, Jay groaned as mostly hot air was pushed into his face, but the temperature was beginning its subtle descent. “A lot roomier than my grandpa’s camper.”

“You been in one before Jay?” Hosuh asks, returning to earth from his thoughts. 

“Yeah. Even got to drive it a bit. Not that hard but there’s a curve to it.” Jay replied. 

“Since we’re on the topic of _revelations_ , I got something to spill.” Dan interrupts the two’s exchange, dragging Stephen to join in on the conversation instead of exploring on his own. “I’m packing heat.” 

“Get out here with that high school shit.” Stephen groaned, rolling his eyes at the green-haired man. “Why brings dicks into the conversation?”

“One, the person who mentioned dicks was you, not me.” Dan begins fiddling with his pockets and reveals the gun. “And two, I found this before you guys reached me earlier. Don’t know how comfortable you guys are with guns overall, but I would vouch for having it with us. Never know when it could come in handy.” 

“Completely agree. How many bullets you got?” Jay asks, completely glazing over the somewhat tense atmosphere that started it up. Stephen and Hosuh seemed to hesitate at the quick reaction and Dan could only observe, expecting a full-on deliberation to occur. Wanting to ease the situation, Dan puts the gun away. 

“Full magazine. Got 12 bullets and that’s it.” Dan replied. 

With crossed arms, Stephen sighed, “A gun is useful, sure. But it gives me an uneasy feeling that violence would be our go-to. You know, one wrong move, we panic and boom! Gun used prematurely… Augh, I’m not against it, per se, but it's you know… a high risk to have.” 

“Even with its high risk, it provides protection. We’re not going to mess with it. If anything, we need to have it as a last resort.” Jay maintained. Stephen can only nod in response, the logic adding up. 

Finally, all eyes turned in the direction of the silver-haired man. 

“Hosuh?” Jay asked. 

“It's fine.” Giving a subtle nod, he remained quiet. Hosuh took a seat and the other three looked among themselves as their overall answer was reached. The gun was here to stay. 

“Alright, we can take turns holding onto it, making sure we hold each other accountable for it. Unless you guys got another solution?” Dan added. 

“No, no. I like the sound of musical guns. It's not perched up somewhere out of reach and one person doesn’t always have the upper hand in the power balance. I’d say we switch off about every two hours.” Jay said. 

Dan gave a nod while Stephen nudges Jay with his elbow, chuckling “Musical guns? Is this the kidz bop version of Russian roulette, minus biting the bullet?” 

“You know what I mean dipshit.” Jay retorted. 

With that, the boys had finally come to an agreement. Stephen decided that his presence wasn’t necessary and wandered off to the back of the RV, intrigued by the bedroom. Jay and Dan started heading for the cockpit, striking a conversation about the next course of action. Meanwhile, Hosuh went to the restroom. 

But as quickly as he went in, he left. 

“Hey, I’m going back to the airport to use the restroom. This thing has no toilet paper and I’m not ready to give up such luxury. I’ll also raid the bathrooms for it, to start us off on the road.” Hosuh yelled out as he made his way to the exit. 

“Aye, dude. You want anybody to go with you? Maybe you should get Stephen.” Dan asked. Not to be patronizing, but Dan was somewhat worried about people going off by themselves in this situation. He knows Hosuh can take care of himself and if he needed help, he wouldn’t hesitate to come back. But being in this situation, his anxiety levels rose. If anything, it was better to be in pairs rather than alone. 

“Nah. I should be quick. And you guys can drive the RV up to the entrance to get me. Unless you want to display your sadistic tendencies and make me walk all the way back here.” With that, Hosuh had left. 

“Damn it. Maybe I should have insisted and gone. Where’s Stephen when you need him?” Dan began his stream of worries before Jay brought him back to reality. 

“Let it go, dude. Like he said, we can go up to the entrance and keep an eye in case something’s up. Also, it's just a restroom break. He shouldn’t take that long.” Jay said, to calm Dan’s nerves. “And if you did go, I wouldn’t be able to ask you this question: Where are we going?” 

Now realizing that he never stated his goal, Dan replies to Jay, the peculiarly intense stare urging him to answer, “I had imagined everybody would want to head back to Vancouver. It’s going to be long, I know, but I feel like everybody would be more comfortable.”

“Well, what if we decided to head… somewhere else? I mean, this situation sucks balls, but we got an opportunity. We could check out places that our wallets could only dream of visiting. And there’s nobody to stop us. The possibilities are endless, even if it seems shitty right now.”

The whiplash Dan experienced was giving him a headache somehow. With the way things were going now, Jay was thinking about going off on an adventure. Survival as one of the last humans was going to be tough. In an area that was completely unfamiliar to them? Not ideal. Dan’s plan was to return somewhere familiar and Vancouver was the place they could all go back to. Settle for a bit and get acclimated to their new status. If they’re going to be the last humans on earth, he wanted to make sure they could reach old age. Or at least be able to keep themselves afloat. The possibility of them drifting apart from all the stress and all scared him, but he believed in them sticking together. Solitude can make a man go crazy and that’s when there were billions available. Just being by yourself, everybody’s mental state was bound to take a hit if they didn’t act as emotional support for one another. No matter what, he didn’t want any of them to go out alone if worse comes to worst. Rubbing his temples, as a slight rustling from the back seemed to bother him, Dan let out a small sigh. 

“Jay. I understand where you’re coming from but I’m thinking about the long-term. It’d be cool, yes, but I think that going back to Vancouver might be the better option, in providing a base to help us start the grind for survival. There’s only so much time before canned goods go bad and if we want to be sustainable with our crops, I would rather do it in a familiar climate. I have some idea about farming in Vancouver since my family occasionally visited my uncle’s farm out in the country area. The U.S. and all its states? I got no idea. We’d have to be diligent in finding books, as google is gone, specifically for these areas and work the land in hopes it works out. Which it may not. Vancouver just seems the safer choice for now. Maybe once we’re more established, we can go on a road trip to explore, but we got to head back to survive. But we could check out some places on our way up.” 

“Alright, alright, you got a point. And your offer on the way up sounds good. Couldn’t say anything, since you said it all. But man, that plan sounds solid for now. So I’m backing off my proposition.” 

Dan’s temples seemed to quiet down, hearing his friend agree to his argument helped ease his worries. “So Vancouver it is.” 

“Yep, but we’re missing a passenger.” Jay chuckled, pointing out the window towards Hosuh’s tiny figure before exiting the glass doors of the airport. “Let's drive to him or he’s not going to forgive us for making him walk all the way back here.” 

“Alright, but I want to drive first,” Dan demanded, clambering over to the driver’s chair for first dibs. 

“Very well. Eager now, but you’re going to hate it when we’re hours in the trip.” Jay said frankly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals are over! Hallelujah! 
> 
> Also, finally got this chapter out. Its a bit transitional and I had a time trying to get words to work. 
> 
> But im excited to write the next chapter tho!! 
> 
> til next time


	5. How the Soup Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hosuh's trying to defeat boredom (at his own risk).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit longer than what I usually write. oh well ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Hosuh’s never been one for road trips. With his motion sickness, all he could do was either sleep to stave it off or try to be awake and avoid anything that would be aggravatingly dizzy to him. Luckily, it wasn’t so bad in the RV, having the agency to move about and settle himself to avoid any dizzy spells, especially keeping away from the windows and seeing the land zip by from the side. But with nothing happening in the last two hours, he was bored in the back, Stephen having fallen asleep already when he got back. So, he started heading for the front, hearing small bits of Dan and Jay’s debate, something about a carrot.

“A whole carrot, intact, in a cake, is NOT A CARROT CAKE,” Dan exclaimed from the front, gesturing his hand to convey the bewilderment he felt from this very conversation. 

“And yet, its CARROT cake, not CARROTS cake.” Jay retorted back, to which Dan could only facepalm in response. Hosuh settled himself behind the two, leaning on the side, with one hand supporting his weight as he stuck it in the notch between the cockpit and the bunker above. and avoiding the window, kept his attention to the two’s physical display. 

“Damn it. Who brought up food? My stomach is growling, mad that we didn’t stop before to get some food. And now here we are on the road, with nothing on the horizon.” Jay grumbled, shifting in his seat, lazily spreading his limbs to show his discontent. In a pained motion, he retrieves something from his back pocket. It’s a granola bar and he just stares at it, pensive in thought for quite some time.

A minute later, he finally opens it and in a quick turn of events, opens the side window and repulsively chucks the granola bar as far as he could. 

“JAY?!? What the fuck was that?” Dan incredulously asks, Hosuh too stunned to even process the throwing away of food, possibly the only food on that RV for hours, in just a split second. 

“It was mixed berry and I hate mixed berry. I thought I could make myself eat it, but just the sight of it made me want to end it. So I did.” Jay replied. 

“And you didn’t think that maybe Hosuh or me might want it? I mean you’re not the only one that could use some food.” As Dan pressed on Jay’s hasty action.

“Dude. If I hate this, you would too. I still don’t know why they make that flavor. It sucks ass. But man, now I just eat even more. I could really go for anything right now. A hamburger, or some mac and cheese, hell even a salad would be fine. Something to fill the void that is my stomach. I don’t even care if it was tomato soup. I could be offered the blandest food in the world and I would still –”

Snapping his fingers, Hosuh interrupted Jay’s small soliloquy for food, “Soup! Soup! I just remembered I packed some soup.” Enthusiastically moving through the RV, Hosuh hops down to the area where the luggage was placed, ripping his out of the neatly packed tower. With no shame, Hosuh tore into his luggage, flinging clothes in search of the cans, when at last, he hit gold. 

“Chicken noodle soup!” Hosuh cries in joy. But even in victory, he was shushed. 

“Dude, Stephen.” Dan whisper-shouted, pointing to the back. 

Hosuh took note but didn’t care enough to keep his excitement from boiling. 

“Why do you have soup in your luggage?” Jay asked, but was met with a look that could sting from Hosuh, “You know what? I retract my statement. You have food and for that, I love you, man.” 

Accepting the blonde’s backpedaling, Hosuh explains “I had imagined we would sometimes eat at the house and not wanting to compromise on my spending money, I brought some soup to help with costs.” 

“Hosuh, you’re either a genius or just cheap, but either way, we got food now. And I’m pretty sure we got some pots, so as a plead from everybody awake, please make the soup.” Dan says, comically displaying his hands in a praying formation. 

Hosuh was way ahead of him. He had already gotten the pot out and rinsed it real quick, for any signs of dust. With that, he searched all the cupboards for a can opener but with no luck. The soupy goodness was stuck in its metal cage. Seeing that the knives were of the flimsy dinnerware variety, Hosuh returned to his luggage. 

Unzipping the small compartment in his suitcase, Hosuh retrieved his swiss army knife. 

“Hosuh, what you got there?” Jay asks. 

“A knife.” 

“Nice.” 

With that, Hosuh gets to work on the can. The knife had a can-opener head, that also functioned as a flathead screwdriver. It was a lot of manual work, but if it meant that they could eat, Hosuh was willing to deal with the labor. 

After a grueling ten minutes of chipping away at the tops of the cans, with a minor nick on the way, Hosuh finally got the mouth wide enough to dump the soups in the pot quickly. Even cold, the chicken aroma began to waft through the RV. Breaking out of the moment of stupor, Hosuh heated the filled pot on the stove and added some water from his water bottle, to help give it more volume. And now for the hard part: _waiting_.

Hosuh had set the microwave timer for 10 minutes and returned to the front to chat with Dan and Jay. He leaned on Jay’s chair, exhausted from the opening the can. The two had moved the conversation towards music and how they missed it.

“The odds of finding an RV whose owners were economists nuts are probably quite low, yet somehow, we struck gold. Not a single CD that pertains to at least the mainstream music. All they got was podcasts about the American economy and the implicating effects of the trade war with China.” Dan said, waving a CD case with _USA, CHINA, TRADE,_ and _PODCAST_ scrawled over in messy handwriting. “Like, I mean, if it wasn’t only us, I would give it a listen. But it's pointless now. And the radio’s no help either.” Seeing Hosuh confused at that last bit, Jay turns on the radio to demonstrate. 

Horribly staticky noise filled the air, only to break with the following: “ _—3220. Please call if any information – their safety – were last –_ ” 

“Whoa. We actually got some words out here.” Jay exclaims. 

Dan chuckles, “Man, it's probably that AMBER alert from earlier this week the way it sounds. But if anything, the whole world needs one.” 

_BEEP!_

The soup was finally done. 

Hosuh raced back to the stove and prepared three cups for the awake. Finding a ladle, he poured the soup up until it was ¾ full for each cup, leaving just enough for one extra, or for Stephen if he ever woke up. Adding a plastic spoon to all the cups, he brings two cups for the men in the front, offering small whoops to indicate their gratefulness. 

Hosuh hands the cup to Jay, who greedily snatches it from his hands and immediately stuffs his face with noodles, but still holds onto Dan’s.

“You’re not going to park?” Hosuh asked. 

“Nah, I can drive and eat. Plus, there not that many obstacles on the road. The occasional car, here and there, but we would see it miles away.” Dan replied. 

Hosuh not entirely satisfied with his answer sighed and handed Dan his cup.  
Carefully placing his knees to grip the wheel and keep it straight, Dan went at the soup. 

“Dan! If you’re going to do that, let me drive for a bit. I ate earlier, so I’m not dying with hunger like you two.”

“Ah. Don’t worry about it. I've done this driving to school with breakfast at higher speeds and much worst traffic. I am a master. Go for your soup man.” Dan reassured. 

Hosuh looked towards Jay for any support, but nothing came to. 

“He’s as stubborn as an ass,” Jay adds. 

“The saying uses mule.” Dan counteracted. 

“I know what I said.” 

Hosuh huffed, but he let it go. Going back for his own cup, he sat on the edge of the entrance to the cockpit area. Only the sounds of slurping could be heard, with the occasional blowing breaking the monotonous silence to cool down the noodles. 

After content sighs and empty cups rattling, Hosuh picked up the dirty dishes, and placed them in the sink, giving a quick rinse before he left. Returning to the front, he finds himself sleepier than before. 

“Guys, I’m going to take a nap on the couch but if you want to switch off on driving, don’t hesitate to wake me up,” Hosuh informs the two, directing his attention and his finger at the green-haired man. “You, especially, Dan. You have that tendency to overwork yourself without asking for help.” 

“Don’t worry about it. Jay already has next dibs and I’ll be switching out in like one or two hours, at the most.” Dan says, waving him off. “Go take your nap dude.” 

Hosuh looking to Jay was reassured by an affirming grunt and a thumbs up. Taking their word for it, he headed to the back and lied sideways on the couch. Closing his eyes, Hosuh slowly drifted off to the rumbling of the tires and eventually found himself asleep. 

-TIME SKIP: 4 HOURS LATER-

Hosuh awakens to a silent RV. The rumbling was gone, and that subtle feeling of the traveling engine was nowhere to be found. Propping himself up to get a better view, he feels his neck stiffen, sore from the couch’s firm and obscurely shaped cushioning. _Not going to sleep there again_.

“Dan? Jay?” Hosuh called for, seeing that the two seats up front were empty. Somewhat panicked, Hosuh powerwalks to the front, only to see two figures in the distance. A blonde figure heading towards the RV and the green-haired one walking away. Perplexed by the current situation, Hosuh waits until Jay finally reaches the entrance. 

“I don’t know what’s going on with Dan, but we’re picking the fool up.” Jay landed himself into the driver’s seat and drove the RV close enough to Dan to keep the distance short but ensure little possibility of Dan getting hit. Within a few minutes, Jay parks the RV and heads out for Dan. 

“Stay here, just in case he gets away from me somehow. If he does, follow him, but don’t get too close, since you’re not too familiar with a vehicle of this size.” With that, Jay left for the wind ran after Daniel. 

Hosuh had little to worry though, as Jay quickly caught up to Dan and dragged him back to the RV. Dan look constantly looks back, searching for something yet nothing was there. Just the open road.

“Dan, do you know how crazy you sound right now?” Hosuh could finally catch a bit of the conversation as Jay got to the door, kicking it in succession, indicating his hand was full. 

Hosuh got to the door and opened it for the two men to enter. 

“I swear. I saw water on the road and not just a small puddle. It looked like quite the flood had made its way there. I couldn’t just drive the RV right into it willy-nilly, so I went out to check it out and see how deep it was. And then you stopped me and I was pretty sure I was close to seeing the flood.” Dan answered.

“Dan, there’s no water whatsoever on the road. We’re in California. It would be more likely to see a fire than a flood right now. I don’t know what you saw, but we’re decommissioning you from driving today.” Jay ordered. 

“No, it's ok. I can still drive. Maybe it was a fluke. I’m still good.” Dan pleaded. 

“No.” Jay manhandled Dan across the RV, reaching the bedroom. Hosuh went for the door and locked it, and curious to see what Dan may have been talking about, he peered through the front window. But only the road, vegetation on the side, and a mile marker were the only things to be seen. No water. No fire. Maybe the occasional bird showed up, but nothing was out of place. 

Jay sighed, finally returning from putting Dan to sleep. “The dude is more tired than he let on. As soon I got him on the bed, he knocked out. Bet we won’t see him until tomorrow.” 

“Dan’s always been one to bite off more than he could chew. At least nothing bad happened.” Hosuh maintained. 

Jay grunted in agreement, settling himself in the driver’s seat. 

“Wait. Now you’re going to drive? Dude, let me take over. I just took a nap and I don’t know how long you’ve been up.” Hosuh imposed. 

“Nah, it's fine. Like you, I had also fallen asleep up here. And that’s how we ended up with Dan a couple of miles away from the RV. I was only awakened when the parked RV gave me an uneasy feeling in my sleep. So its partially my fault that that had happened, and I’m willing to pay the price.” 

“Jay. Really. I can drive and you can sleep—”

“It’s good, man. You can also go back to sleep since it is your favorite past time. Plus, I won’t go off like Dan just did. Go, man. Leave me some alone time to think on the road, to become the Plato of this new world.” 

“Alright, Aristotle. But if you get tired and want to switch, don’t hesitate to wake me up. And you better. Don’t push yourself too hard like Dan did. And I mean it.” Hosuh sternly told Jay, a finger waving its accusing intent at the blonde.

“Yes, yes. Cross my heart.” Jay confirmed, finally buckling himself in. But with a quick quip, thinking Hosuh was out of earshot, Jay whispered, “Like a Mother Hen.” The following prompted a playful smack to the head, to which he responded with a fake yelp. 

“Not so sneaky, eh? Also, if I’m going to sleep, do me a favor and wake me up if we happen upon a Walmart or another store. I’d give it another hour or two before we see civilization again though, so not a big deal right now. I want to get some more food and supplies to keep the boredom away. Eventually, I’ll get tired of sleeping in this damn RV.” Hosuh added.

“Aye, dude. Now go get some sleep.” Waving Hosuh away, Jay returned his full focus to the road in front of him, subtly increasing the speed. 

Still not satisfied with Jay continuing the drive, Hosuh could only walk away with a sigh, knowing that no matter how long they argued, Jay would hold his ground and not give in. Thus, Hosuh made his way to his backpack. Grabbing his toothbrush and toothpaste, Hosuh prepared for an actual sleep rather than a nap. Heading for the bathroom, Hosuh had begun brushing his teeth, quickly scrubbing the sides to at least get that clean feel before gargling and spitting some water out at the sink to get rid of the suds.

Taking off his glasses, he places them, along with his toothbrush, in the cabinet hidden by the mirror in front of him. With a secure place for his belongings, Hosuh heads for the bunker above the cockpit. Dan and Stephen had taken up the bed in the back and he didn’t want to disturb them while trying to lay down in the process. Although he was afraid of heights, he could make do with the bunker. It wasn’t too tall but was above his eyesight. Plus, there was a harness, so that helped provide some reassurance. Also, it was close to Jay and if he needed to switch, it could be done quickly and swiftly.  
The bunker was a dark and cozy spot. The curtains weren’t drawn, yet little light entered or escaped from it. As a sleeping space, it was delightful. If only it wasn’t so high. Sucking it up, Hosuh grabbed his blanket and tossed in there, getting ready to make the climb. And in a quick fashion, he bouldered up the side and carefully stabilized himself on the bunker’s floor, making sure he wouldn’t slip off if the RV hit a nasty pothole. 

Satisfied with his newfound stability, Hosuh slightly shifted himself to work on the harness. 

Then the unthinkable happens. The RV jolted from a slight bump and the subtle pull of a soft stop. Hosuh found himself sliding into the bunker, a much better option than falling onto the floor. Or so he thought. 

As he slid further into the darkness, his legs led the way. And hit something. Which kicked back. Hosuh had crashed into someone and was kicked in the process. With enough force, Hosuh found himself momentarily dangling from the top, body twisting any which way to prevent himself from a terrible fall. Grasping at straws, Hosuh tried to keep himself up by hanging on backwards to the edge, relying on the small amount of grip strength he had, which ultimately failed. Scraping his back against the wall, Hosuh landed on the couch, his butt crashing onto the firm cushions below, offering little protection. 

Yet, in all the chaos, Hosuh was not the only one to experience a quick change in setting. Before he thoroughly fell to the couch, his wrist was grabbed by the person above. But momentum was not having it. The culprit fell right behind Hosuh but didn’t land as badly as he did. Instead, a body had flailed onto the floor, landing with heavy thuds onto his feet, his center of gravity off and falling backward, dropping onto Hosuh’s lap for the attempt of regaining balance had gone wrong. 

And the familiar sight of purple hair had made its appearance. 

“Stephen! What were you doing up there?” Hosuh ordered. 

“Sleeping. Until you came along.” With little grace, Stephen tried to get up but fell in the process.

“I didn’t know you were there. I thought you were in the bedroom.”

“Well, you were wrong. I happen to like sleeping at high places sometimes and this was just my cup of tea. How didn’t you see me?” Stephen retorted back.

“One, I’m blind without my glasses. Two, I thought it was empty, given that all the noise we made earlier, you didn’t wake up. Like at all. And three, it looked unoccupied since the harness and curtains weren’t drawn at all.” Hosuh began to stand up, little by little, massaging his sore areas as the impact was not kind to him, but luckily had some mercy. 

“Wait, there were curtains and a harness?” 

“Yes.” 

Stephen pondering for a moment, “Well I am also blind. And I didn’t see that stuff. Whatever that doesn’t matter. Why were you heading up?” 

“To sleep. But this time, I was going to use the harness and curtains like it was designed to do.” Hosuh answered 

“Hey, it was workin—“ 

“Oye!” Jay interrupted the two’s bickering, bringing their attention to the front. “If you two would stop arguing, you would see that we are near to our first destination.” 

“Where?” Stephen asked. 

“Target,” Jay replied, pointing at the slowly embiggening sign in the distance, its eerie red light still glowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the chapters I was really excited to write about and I can't wait for the next one. 
> 
> (Also, I would like to imagine the bois know a little about some of the major names in philosophy [ _at least_ ] but evidence would suggest otherwise. Hey, at least it ain't descartes)
> 
> Thanks for sticking with the story and in essence, me <3


	6. Bulls-eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen likes to shop alone, at Hosuh's expense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one.  
> After starting on a paper mache sloth head, I was full of motivation to write some more and somehow powered through another chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy :)
> 
> [Also, shopping alone is great but i get crap from friends occasionally, as they say its safer than being by yourself as a college student. But alas, i do not heed their warnings.]

“And last thing: stick together.” Jay sternly insisted.

Stephen and Hosuh we’re gathering their things and prepping for the supply run into the Target that in front of them. Glasses were back on, shoelaces retied and backpacks empty. They quickly nod in response, acknowledging the blonde’s request.

“Don’t worry about it. If the last few hours can tell us anything, we won’t have to worry about anybody else bothering us. Hell, I’d think the biggest obstacle would be getting into the store if the doors don’t work.” Stephen assured. 

“That we know of. Just be alert at least. Grab your stuff and then get out so we can. And Hosuh, don’t hesitate to use your knife if the time calls for it.” 

Hosuh exhales in agreement and starts heading out, feeling his knife in his pocket for just moment, and heads out, leaving the door open for Stephen to follow.

“Wait, Hosuh has a knife? When did he get one? Why did he get one? Do I have anything?” Stephen questioned. Looking towards Jay for answers and scanning the outside in which Hosuh got closer to the entrance of the store, Stephen could only look incredulously. 

“Don’t know what to tell you, but the dude had a knife in his luggage the whole time since the beginning of the trip. Plus, I have my own in my bag but I’m keeping that for myself in case anything happens.” 

“What, you could bring knives on planes? I thought it was illegal to do.” Stephen replied. 

“If you put in the luggage, you’re set. Now hurry up and join Hosuh.” Jay said, shooing Stephen out of the RV. 

Feeling the impatience of the man, Stephen headed out the RV and jogged towards the opened entrance, “Hey, wait for me!” 

– IN THE STORE – 

“Finally. Thought I would have to come back and hold your hand all the way here so you didn’t get lost.” Hosuh chided. 

“Hey. Can’t rush perfection. Also, you got a knife?” Stephen replied. 

“Yeah.”

“Damn it. I need a knife, too. I can’t be the only one without a weapon. They got knives here right? A kitch—"

“Stephen. Yes, they got knives but don’t get too distracted looking for them.” Hosuh interrupted him. “We just got to get the supplies and go. Like, for some reason, I got a strange feeling entering the store. So, let's stick together – Stephen!! Get back here” Hosuh had gone on with a plan forward, but Stephen had other ideas once he was out of his view. He shot out into the aisles, leaving Hosuh in the dust. 

“Ah don’t worry about it. Just meet back in the front, in like 20 minutes, and we should be good. What Jay doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” And like that, Stephen had escaped from Hosuh’s watch, succeeding as heard the other man’s footsteps trail away. 

He kept walking about, wandering the aisles for anything that piqued his interest. But nothing in the first few aisles, as he was good on hygiene. But he did come across an empty cart and took that for his journey. 

Reaching the pharmacy area, he stockpiled on headache pills, bandages, and ointment, tossing in a couple of first-aid kits just in case. Never know when they could come in handy. And as he rounded the corner of the last aisle, he decided to retrace his steps, just in case something else might pop up. And it did. He found some motion-sickness medicine. _Hosuh could use this_. He chucks three packages into the cart and finishes up his walkthrough the medicine. 

Satisfied, he went towards the toilet paper. Grabbing a couple packages, he felt that it would be enough for the trip but not too much that it would take too much space. 

_Grumble_.

His stomach was making its entrance. Stephen had forgotten that he hadn’t eaten anything since the airport. And he remembered the soup from RV, right there mocking him right now, thinking earlier that he would be fine until they got back. 

Leaving the cart behind momentarily, he caught sight of the clearance area near the refrigerated food items. Sure, the store was making a last-minute attempt to get rid of the unpopular stuff, but that’s where the hidden gems are at. The one back home had introduced him to one of his favorite snacks for a measly $2. So, he was curious to see what this store had to offer in its little corner. Some gum packs, themed cereals, and teas, Stephen didn’t really find anything that would be noteworthy. He grabbed the teas for the cart, which then revealed some Clif bars. They’re ok in taste, but they satisfied the stomach. Thus, with no hesitation, Stephen grabbed the bar and opened for quick snacking, relishing in the satisfaction it provided. 

A noise to his left caught his attention. With a little jump backward and his fists raised, he directed his focus to the source. About three aisles away from him, he saw a horse, its head to be exact, stick out near the floor, attempting to find something to graze. Relaxing at the sight of the animal, Stephen lowered his fists and returned to his bar. 

Then he got a brilliant idea. Stephen never really seen a horse up close, so he decided this was the perfect opportunity to do so. If he was lucky, he could maybe even pet it. So, he began cooing and whistling, trying to coax the horse to his direction, to at least see its full body. 

But it worked too well. The horse came out of the aisle. And it was huge. The head did not give away its size whatsoever, possibly being comically disproportionate for a real animal. But here it was. And it was getting closer. Its giant hooves created a clacking noise that could have been heard for miles. Its shoulders were at Stephen’s line of sight. And its eyes. Its beady, black eyes. Just stared at Stephen, hiding all thoughts it had, leaving it to be unreadable. They just stared, barely blinking, showing a glassy look with all the lights that surrounded them. 

Stephen was not prepared and backed up slowly, to not startle the horse. But to his dismay, he was in the corner. His mind said to run, but his legs wouldn’t move. He was paralyzed with fear by this humongous horse. And in a target no less. His heartbeat was racing, his face flushed red and his ears followed suit. The horse just stared, and the standoff remained quiet. Shallow breaths were heard and the ticking of a clock not far off. Time was lost and Stephen was its prisoner. 

“Stephen?” The purple-haired man was brought out of his trance. He wasn’t sure if it was Hosuh or just a trick his mind was playing to help keep him sane. 

“Stephen?” Nope, it was actually Hosuh. Mustering any strength left in his body, he shouted for Hosuh towards his direction. Fear began to come again, as the silence returned. But he did hear the fast pace of footsteps gradually getting louder. 

Then Hosuh found him. Stephen didn’t realize how long he was holding his breath and felt the pressure in his chest ease for a bit. And seeing Hosuh’s face helped a bit, eyes wide in confusion and surprise at the very situation that befell him. Nevertheless, the man had a comforting presence. 

Stephen remained still, not daring to make another move, but Hosuh was quick to act. Running towards an aisle out of sight, he briskly returned with some crackers in his hands and began coaxing the horse towards him, leaving Stephen out of its line of sight. The horse curious at the new development, slowly trots towards Hosuh at the other end of the aisle, pleasantly surprised to find a human with food. 

Stephen, regaining common sense and control of his body, finally had the capacity to get away from this predicament. Trying to keep away from the horse, he ran down the aisle next over, trying to keep a safe distance between the horse and be able to meet up with Hosuh after he finishes his business with the animal. He was close to reaching the main walkway, exiting the aisle he was currently in, thinking about the signal was going to send to indicate he was good to go. 

Except his legs betrayed him. Staying still in an awkward position does not help your case when you’re trying to escape. That and pumping adrenaline, the body was in a state of confusion. At the last moment, his legs had locked up and he fell onto the floor, within eyesight of the silver-haired man and vice versa. Crashing onto the shelves nearby, making a ruckus that the empty store acoustics had only made louder. It could be heard from the very opposite end, filling the ears of the two men. 

But they weren’t the only ones to find the noise alarming at the least. The horse startled, began to panic and rear up, giving off whinnies of terror. Hosuh, trying to avoid the flailing hooves, moved out of the way. 

But he was only partially successful. He avoided the huge hooves, but the horse was not done in its fear-induced state. Returning to the floor, the horse charged towards Hosuh’s direction, not hitting him head-on, but just enough. And with an animal of that size, the impact of the hit was massive. 

Hosuh was only clipped, but he bounced right onto the glass door of one of the refrigerators, which showered him in broken glass.

Then it seemed like it happened in slow motion and Stephen had a front-row seat. The horse was gone, and broken glass littered the floor. His body limp, Hosuh seemed to float briefly in mid-air. Small cuts and bruises were already making their appearance. His eyes were tightly shut for impact, face scrunched. And with a final dive, Hosuh had landed. 

_THUD!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I know I did.
> 
> More to come hopefully


	7. Cracked Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hosuh's coming to, but nobody's around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Any medical procedures/advice/etc. is very much a surface reading in this chapter. 
> 
> Things are slowly kicking off 
> 
> 'xfiles theme song plays'

A faint light begins to appear. The surrounding darkness slowly bled out, thinning out at the edges. Shapes are forming but its too blurry to make out. A muffled ringing.

Hosuh was finally regaining consciousness. How long was I out? He tried to move, but sharp pains were beginning to mix and pang throughout his body. It was just better to stay still. Even breathing made him sore, but he wanted to live. 

Trying to keep his mind off the pain, Hosuh tried to recount what happened. What led him to this moment, alone on the floor of a target? 

He had remembered that he went to find Stephen, but his search had turned to the unexpected. Instead of finding just the purple-haired man, he found him in a face-off with a horse. In a Target. The odds of this happening were slim, yet here it was. And finding that Stephen had seem terrorized by the huge horse, he had thought quick and retrieved a snack to distract the horse. It was going so well until Stephen made the loud noises. The horse made a charge at him and he thought he had escaped from its path, but that was not the case.

_Goddamn it, Stephen._

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Get in, get out. That was his plan. After Stephen split from him earlier, he wanted to just grab the things he planned to get and either wait for Stephen with Jay or come back to a readied RV. The store had given him a bad feeling once he entered and just wanted to leave as soon as possible. 

–

As Hosuh had traversed the aisles for anything of use, he found himself gathering occupying items. Some CDs, writing and art supplies, and some random games made its way to his cart. And after getting some snacks that he had imagined everybody would enjoy, he headed for the front. Hosuh had bagged all his items for easy transportation into the RV. Thus, he made his way out as he had done to get in. 

When reaching the door to the RV, Hosuh was surprised to find it locked. He knocked three times, hoping to catch Jay’s attention but quiet enough that it wouldn’t wake up Dan if he wasn’t awake already. After a few minutes, the door swung open and Jay appeared ready to help. But his welcoming face soon dropped as he realized it was only Hosuh. 

“Where’s Stephen?” Jay asked. 

“Still in the store.” 

“And why is he still in the store when you are right here? Really guys, come on.” Jay said as he exited the vehicle, pacing outside in a circle. “I ask a rather simple request and yet you guys don’t follow through. Goddamn it, you’re going to give me gray hairs.” 

“I’m sure Stephen’s fine. The store’s empty, no sign of life. I bet you he’s going to come out that store in like five minutes, tops.” Hosuh said, trying to reassure Jay that the split wasn’t as bad as he thought. 

“Alright, but what are you willing to bet?” Jay asked. 

“We’ll get to that in five minutes.” Hosuh deflected. And there they waited, in front of the RV, letting time go by as they were anticipating the head of purple to show up at any moment. But he never showed. It was getting darker and the store’s lights were casting an eerie glow, that combined with the slow setting sun, created a surreal scene. 

“Idiots. The both of you. Go get your other brain cell and drag him back here. I had planned on getting another hour or two of driving in before retiring for the night. But we can’t do that with a person missing. Now go!” Jay ordered. 

Hosuh seeing the predicament on his hands, sheepishly asks before jogging out, “So what do I owe you?” 

“I’ll tell you later. And it ain’t going to be pretty. Now go.” 

Hosuh did not need to be told a third time to get going and off he went, back into the store. The same bad feeling began to appear and Hosuh could only ignore it, for the only objective was to find Stephen and get out. But with the vast amount of ground he would have to cover to find the man, he thought it was suitable to shout for him. They were the only ones here and Stephen would eventually hear Hosuh call for him. 

“Stephen?” Nothing. Silence. Hosuh continued down the main walkway, looking through all the aisles for the purple-haired man. Finding himself in a new area, he shouted the name again. 

“’ ver here.” It was faint but it was a response. Hosuh headed for the source, not thinking about the somewhat quiet response he received. He was relieved to finally have a response. The possibility of finding Stephen knocked out, or worse, was gone. He just wanted to see the purple-haired man alive and well. 

As Hosuh finally arrived, the scene before him had bewildered him. 

There was Stephen. In a corner. Blocked by a horse. 

_Really Stephen?_

–

Hosuh dared not to move. Some of the glass surrounding him had pierced his skin, blood dribbling from the, luckily, shallow cuts. But other than the shallow breaths he gave out, silence surrounded Hosuh. Maybe a slight buzz from the fluorescent lights could be heard, but it often mixed in with the trailing sounds of the ringing in his ears.

Then he heard footsteps. They sounded faint, but they were getting closer. 

“Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead.” Stephen quickly fretted as he reached Hosuh, panic evident in his voice.

“He’s not dead. Fazed, but not dead. And you didn't think to check on him before getting me? Really?” Jay interrupted him, possibly trying to quell that fear in him. 

"I panicked, ok."

Jay joined Stephen on the floor, trying to prop Hosuh in a more comfortable position to determine how bad his injuries were. “Hosuh, can you hear me? It's me and Stephen. We’re going to get you out of here buddy.” Jay said, to which Hosuh could only give a weak ‘yes.’ “Stephen, grab a cart nearby and we’ll hoist Hosuh into it for easy transportation.”

Stephen obliged and went for the cart he had earlier. It was filled with other items, but he couldn’t bother to take them out. Hosuh needed to get to the RV as soon as possible. He returned with the cart to see Jay wrapping his arms under Hosuh’s, steadying himself as he waited for Stephen to return.

“Ok, grab his legs and let's get him in one go.” Stephen nodded and went for his legs a little too eagerly, as Hosuh’s groans reminded him of the injuries present. Realizing his mistake, Stephen tried to go for a gentler approach, but groans were still about, as they needed to get Hosuh in the cart. Luckily, in one swift motion, the transfer was successful and Hosuh was stable in the cart, little space for him to move about and provoke his pain.

A little after, a huge crash reverberated throughout the store, only to be followed by distressed neighing. The two carriers only looked at each other. 

“Alright, that our cue. Get him to the RV and I’ll get him some medical supplies to clean him up.” Stephen could only oblige, starting his way to the vehicle. The neighing occasionally got louder, bringing Stephen to be more cautious in the way he approached at the retreat. He kept an ear out, waiting for the horse to get farther away.

_Scrrrrtch!_

The neighing was interrupted by a sound akin to a record scratch but neighing continued, nevertheless. The obscurity caught his attention momentarily, but Hosuh’s groan brought him back to reality. Hosuh was practically a ragdoll, swaying with the direction of the cart, groaning at the occasional flare-up that occurred, no matter how gentle Stephen attempted to be. To bring as little pain as possible to the man in the cart, Stephen would worry about that sound at a later time. Hosuh was his first priority. 

Finally reaching the vehicle, a new problem arose. How was Stephen going to get Hosuh inside without Jay? The man was short, but Stephen didn’t have the strength to manhandle Hosuh into the vehicle with little contact and pain as possible. With the way the RV is set up, piggybacking would be tough to pull off. Bridal carry was out since his arm strength was definitely not enough. He kept thinking of ideas and methods to get Hosuh inside with the least amount of hurt possible as he got the man out of the cart. Then finally, the answer came to him

_Fireman’s carry!_ He could use his whole body’s strength, in which his legs were much stronger as a base, to heave Hosuh and his hands would be somewhat free to help him navigate the RV’s interior. That and he had practice in carrying people in that style. For once, he was grateful that he was part of the Royal Cadets back in high school. 

With a plan in mind, Stephen hoisted Hosuh onto his shoulders and began his ascent into the RV. Being careful to maintain his balance, Stephen took it nice and slow, avoiding any quick movements. Even though it may have seemed like forever to finally get the man on the couch, Stephen was proud to minimize the amount of pain the silver-haired man felt. All until he placed him on the couch, to which groans galore occurred, but it had to happen. 

Under the lights and safety of the RV, Stephen was able to fully examine Hosuh’s injuries. The bruises were huge on his arms and legs, beginning to discolor to a dark gray color. He didn’t want to even think about the rest of his injuries that were hidden by his clothes. And small shards of glass stuck onto him. Stephen, not wanting to be useless in Hosuh’s time of need, started to pick them off. Luckily, most of the glass had fallen off when he was put in the cart and there were not many pieces of glass deep into the man’s skin. All shallow and mainly sticking to his arms and feet, and the occasional shard stuck on his face, Stephen approached it like a bandage. Take it off quickly and in one go. Might as well let Hosuh deal with the pain momentarily rather than just drag it on. Trying to quicken the process and lessen the number of times he had to pull the glass out Hosuh, Stephen tried to pull two pieces of glass at the same time. Groans and hisses could be heard throughout the RV, but Stephen could care less. The man was in pain, let him be. 

In one particular instance, when Stephen was done with one arm and began working on the leg on the same side, he suffered a blow from Hosuh, as he flung his arm at Stephen’s head, as he pulled a particularly deep shard. “Hos, I know it must hurt but I got to do it. I should be done soon. The heavier parts are done.” He breathed. Hosuh could only mumble in response and Stephen nodded along, trying to keep his attention to the injured male. Eventually, Jay finally popped in with bags of medicine and the other stuff from the cart, littering his arms in its entirety. 

Grabbing the ointments, gauzes, and bandages, Jay started on the clean areas, wrapping Hosuh into a makeshift mummy practically. Stephen was finally finished picking off the glass shards and went around the RV, seeing if maybe, by any chance, there was an ice pack or something. Even ice would be helpful at this point. But to his disappointment, nothing came up. 

“Hey, Jay. Any chance did you get any ice packs?”

“No, but didn’t you get some first aid kits. I think I saw those earlier when I was bringing the stuff in.” 

Stephen could only facepalm. Of course, the first aid had ice packs. He went to the supply area and tore into the kits, finding the ice pack with quick capabilities. Gathering as many as he could, he brought them to Jay, trying to figure out how to place and spread them for maximum coverage and relief. But in order to survey all the areas in need, they would need to determine how bad Hosuh’s torso was affected. So, they lifted his shirt to reveal his chest and were met with a giant bruise, garishly purple and darkening. With no hesitation, the boys placed the icepack on the darkest spot and wrapped it in place. 

Once satisfied with their handiwork, Jay had started the RV and got the gang back on the road. Stephen stuck around with Hosuh, trying to keep him comfort as he provided himself for Hosuh to lean on. 

“Any chance I can get some tea and painkillers?” Hosuh whispers, breaking the silence. 

“Yeah, yeah. Stay here while I get you them. Night-time ok?” Stephen asked. 

“Well, I can’t exactly go anywhere right now in my state.” Hosuh chuckled lowly. Stephen was happy to hear the man joke, even if what just had happened was scarily too close. He began boiling the water. “But give me regular painkillers. Don’t want to sleep yet. Just in case you guys need my help.” 

“Hos, you’re injured. You need to sleep. We’ll be fine.” He said as he began to let the tea steep.

“No, I already feel like a burden and I just need to help a little to quell that uneasiness. So I’m staying up.” Hosuh replied. 

Stephen was about to object but Jay interrupted, “Stephen, just give him the pills he asked for. He’s not going to listen to us or reason.” Jay pulled a bottle from his pocket. “Here, I already opened one to take a pill for dealing with your stupidity.”

“Asshole.” Stephen takes the bottle and retrieves two pills. The tea was ready, and he prepared a cup for Hosuh. With a cup in one hand and pills in the other, he handed them to Hosuh in a gentle manner, carefully being patient with man’s unsteady hold. 

“Chamomile. Hope you like it.” Stephen mentioned. 

Hosuh’s face lit up at the small reveal. “It's my favorite.” He chuckled and swallowed the pills as quickly as he could, chasing it down with a gulp of tea. “Pills? Not so much.” After taking another sip, he held it lazily in his hands, gladly welcoming the warm feeling that had spread throughout his body.

“Thank you, Stephen,” Hosuh proclaimed. And he began to take a nosedive, close to falling to the ground. 

“Hos?!? Hos?!? Jay?!?” Stephen shrieked as he held the unconscious man after catching him in his arms, searching frantically for an answer at what just had happened. 

“Don’t worry. I switched the pills for nighttime extra-strength.” Jay said nonchalantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Whatever you do, do not give your friends, or anyone for that matter, the wrong medicine. Even if you know it would do them better. Can't force them.
> 
> Ooh we really getting into the thick of it, little by little. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and sticking around <3
> 
> [and man, next chapter's the last chapter i got an outline for, so it may be sometime before i get the chapter after the upcoming one out. but i will try my best]


	8. One-to-Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan's awake to a simmering situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for seemingly disappeared, even though I have no set schedule for consistent updates.  
> The past few days kicked my butt, as I had to go to parties, out of town and eventually got sick, which all ate up my prime time for writing. 
> 
> But I'm back! 
> 
> Have fun reading :-)

The room was dimly lit. Muffled shouting could be heard beyond the door. And the soft rumbling of the tires below was becoming more evident. 

Dan was beginning to stir, tossing the covers in every-which-way direction to get out of the comfortable grip of the bed. The cumulated warmth on the bedcovers was beckoning, but Dan felt that he needed to get up. He wasn’t sure how long he was out, and he felt refreshed enough for another hour of driving. He was sure that he would have to argue with Jay for the driver’s seat, but he was sure he was fine to drive now. Propping himself up, he clumsily scouted for his shoes with his feet. 

A strained shout sprang from the other side of the door. Concern began to well up on Dan’s mind he put on his shoes faster, with little regard for how loose his laces were. He opened the door as quickly as he could.

“What’s going on?”

Stephen was on the floor, carrying a limp Hosuh, ready to answer until Jay interjected. 

“Tweedle dum got tweedled dee injured and I had to take some measures to get him to recover.” 

“Some measures?!? Jay practically drugged Hosuh!” Stephen’s voice was rife with anger. 

“But who got him in that state in the first place?!?” Jay retorted, the words escaping his mouth before he could trap the thought. But the damage was already done. 

Stephen became silent, shying away from the conversation. 

Dan tried to reign the conversation in and relieve the tension in the atmosphere. “Let's all take a breath. A deep one now. And somebody please tell me what happened.”

Stephen focused his effort in propping the unconscious Hosuh back onto the couch, avoiding Dan’s eyes. The purple-haired man did not seem to be in a mood for a recount. 

Jay sighed and pulled over the RV. With a silent moment looming among the wake as Jay began his walk to the back, he finally broke the silence. 

“Alright. I’ll break it down. But Stephen—” pointing a finger at the man “butt in when necessary. I don’t have the full story, and would rather have it not be one-sided.”

Stephen nodded with little spirit, and Jay began the retelling. 

—

Dan knew how serious the situation was now, but he couldn’t help it, letting a few chuckles escape his mouth, as Jay’s retelling lightened the mood and Stephen was beginning to feel like himself again. 

“Really Stephen? A horse trapped you in a corner?” Dan said. 

“The horse was huge man. Practically had death machines for hooves. I mean, look at what it did to Hosuh and it barely touched him.” Stephen countered.

“Yes, while that may be true, that only happened after you scared it off with your symphony of a crash. Until you moved, it seemed like he was handling it well.”

“You had to be there to understand.” Stephen tried to end it there, but Jay was quick on the uptake. 

“I’d rather not with you. I mean, just look at Hosuh.” 

Dan glared at Jay for the last remark, feeling that it may have pushed the envelope too far. And just when the mood was beginning to take a turn for the better. Jay only shrugged it off, feeling that he hadn’t crossed the line. 

The two were surprisingly taken out of their silent warfare of scowls when Stephen gave a slight chuckle. “You got me there.” 

Hosuh gave a slight twitch as he leaned on Stephen, somewhat startling the three from their conversation. 

“We should’ve put that guy to bed a long time ago,” Dan mentioned. 

Nodding along, Stephen began to gently move Hosuh into a standing position, waiting for someone, which happened to be Dan, to lift the man by the shoulders for transportation. With their combined heights, the two were able to keep Hosuh’s feet from dragging on the ground. Swiftly navigating through the room, Hosuh was finally laid onto the bed, pillows cushioning the edges to prevent him from going off the edge. 

Stephen spoke up, “Hey, I can tuck him in. Go help Jay. I would but he’d razz me nonstop.” 

“Don’t worry man. It’s not—” 

“Please.” 

Dan could see the pleading eyes, begging for a moment of privacy. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw such a face, much less on Stephen of all people. Not wanting to impede on the man’s request, he honored it with a simple nod, taking his leave and shutting the door behind him.

— 

And there was Dan, alone in the RV with the silence surrounding him. That was until, “Man, I just took a long piss.” 

Jay appeared from the bathroom, shaking his hands free from the water, with no regard for anyone within splashing distance. 

“Really dude. Couldn’t use a towel, or perhaps your jeans?” Dan commented.

“Nothing better than a little airdrying.”

Dan could only roll his eyes, expecting nothing else from the blonde man. But jokes aside, the timing was right. 

“Jay, not to bring the mood down, but why didn’t you guys wake me up at the start of all this? Like I know the small episode might have brought some concern, but I’m fine. I’m fine really. I’m pretty sure it was a fluke like maybe I didn’t eat enough or get enough rest. But dude, I swear I could have helped with this whole debacle. Maybe I could have gone in with them. Or maybe it could have been you and me going in. Or, or, I could have just put out a vote to go somewhere else. Maybe we could have avoided this whole situation. Maybe –.” Jay shushed him, throwing his hands up to stop the guy from rambling on.

“Dan. Know this: It is no way your fault whatsoever.” He motioned for the green-haired man to join him on the couch, to help settle their nerves. “And I thought that we could handle it. That _I_ could handle it.” 

“It’s no one’s fault really. I may have jumped the gun at Stephen when I was mad, but this situation was out of our control. It was an accident and that’s that. That horse was jumpy and if Stephen didn’t startle it, something else would. Maybe it was better than Stephen scared it and gave Hosuh that head start to get out of the way.” Taking a deep breath, he whispered the last bit, “Or Hosuh may not be with us right now.” 

“Jay.” 

“And I had to take into my own hands. I got scared and had to do it. I had to switch the pills. Knowing Hosuh, he wouldn’t want to go to sleep and the guy would push himself and next thing we know, he’s collapsing from exhaustion and he would be closer to the brink of death and the pills were the only thing I could think.” Leaning on the couch, Jay covered his eyes with his arm and continued “I didn’t want to do it at first, but I was so pissed and worried about the idiot that I went into overdrive. I just … I just …” 

Dan went to ruffle the blonde’s hair in smoothing motion, breaking him out of his current state. “Jay. Dude. I understand. There’re tough decisions that need to be made and the outcome won’t satisfy everybody. Not exactly what I would have done per se, but it got the job done.” And out came a sly chuckle. 

Jay couldn’t help but join in. “Maybe I could have persuaded him with my knife.”

“He also has a knife.”

“Touché.”

The bedroom door clicked opened, Stephen walked out of there with red, puffy rims surrounding his tired eyes. His movements were almost robotic, as he made his way to the dining area, sitting down and laying his head on the table. He covered his head with his arms, making no attempt in acknowledging the other two’s presence, trying to shut out any stimuli. 

“Stephen?”

Only shaky breaths could be heard with the occasional gasp, hardly the reply the two boys were hoping for and their worry began to increase. Dan motioned Jay to follow him, seating themselves around Stephen, (Dan to his left, Jay to his right) leaving no room for escape. And they each wrapped their arms around him, trying to coax the youngest one from completely shutting down. Dan massaged his back and Jay stroked his hair, more or less in sync, in order to help Stephen relax. The silent atmosphere was kept until Stephen was stabilized. 

“Feeling better, kiddo?” Dan asked, in a comforting manner.

No oral reply was given, but a weak thumbs up gave him his answer. Dan tapped Jay’s hand lightly to grab his attention, “Mind heating that leftover soup? Let's get him to eat something and put him to sleep.” 

Jay nodded and left for the kitchen, starting up the microwave, as Dan continued to comfort Stephen. His breaths were reaching normal levels again and his body began to shift ever so slightly. 

Jay finally returned with the soup, prying Stephen’s hands away from his head and placing the cup and spoon in its place instead, “Eat.” 

Stephen, slowly but surely, picked himself off the table and took a few moments to steady himself. Dan began to inch away, leaving the purple-haired man to eat on his own and joined Jay as they watched patiently. Only the sounds of slow slurping filled the air. When he was close to finishing, Jay whispered to Dan a small comment and went off for the front, starting the RV once again for their journey. 

“Alright, let’s get you to bed.” Dan directed Stephen, to which he grunted in reply, but made no effort to move. Grabbing his hand, Dan led Stephen to the bed, surprised at how easy it was to get the purple-haired man to move from his spot and follow him. _Man, he’s really out of it._

Upon reaching the bed, Stephen lied down, and Dan helped adjust the covers for both him and Hosuh. The man must have been exhausted because he was knocked out right before Dan had the chance to speak to him. And not wanting to disturb him, Dan could only sigh in relief, even though he was just accidentally disregarded, and left the bedroom as quietly as possible. 

And as he left, he made his way for the shotgun. 

“He give you any trouble?” Jay queried.

“No. Surprisingly docile.” 

“I’d imagine after the day he had, he’d be all tuckered out.” 

“Anybody would be. You’d have to be nonhuman not to be.” Dan retorted. 

— 3 HOURS LATER — 

The night sky was speckled with countless stars. The road ahead of them was beginning to become more littered with more cars, as they were beginning to reach an urban area. The drive was getting excruciatingly slow, as the darkness didn’t help with the additional objects, slowing the RV’s pace to the liking of a snail practically.

“Maybe we should stakeout for the night and catch up on some rest. We can’t be hypocrites now.” Dan prompted.

“Yeah, I get what you mean, but let’s find a solid marker. Something that’ll help us keep our place on the map in the morning.” Jay replied. 

“How about that?” Dan pointing straight ahead, a sign slowly becoming illuminated by the RV’s headlights. 

**SAN JOSE**

“That works. But who’s going to sleep whe— Dude look! A bed and breakfast! We could sleep on actual beds.” 

Jay maneuvered the RV to the parking lot of the quaint townhome, on the side of the riverbank. No signs of forced entry or exit. Cars still riddled the area, but nobody was around. The low roar of the river currents and the buzzing of the summer cicadas was all that could be heard. Another ghost town was before them. 

“Let’s leave a note where we are and lock up the RV. There’s bound to be plenty of rooms for the choosing and we could find one closest to the RV if needed be.” Dan decided. 

Jay grunted in agreement and parked the RV as close as he could, without setting off any other car alarms. The two headed out for the rest area, having placed a note on the table and locking up. Their first stop was the main room with a small lobby, pristine to receive guests, but homey enough to help ease away feelings of homesickness. 

Dan made his way behind the desk, finding the keys to rooms unoccupied. 

“Room 8 for me. And room 11 for you.” Distributing the keys accordingly, Dan left the service desk. “Alright, dude. See you in the morning.”

“Night.” 

And off Dan went, heading in an opposite direction than Jay, as even rooms were on opposite sides of odd rooms. He would have gone to change the key for an odd room, but he found himself standing in front of Room 8 already. Too late to change now. 

Entering the room, he was supplied with the following sight once he turned on the light: a queen bed with fluffy comforter, a small coffee table accompanied by a recliner. A bathroom in the back, with a sink in view and the toilet and shower hidden in its own bathroom. A tv hung on the wall, with its remote laying on the wardrobe below. The room was ready for its next guest, but they never came. 

Not thinking about what a room entailed, Dan had forgotten to take his luggage. But such a mishap would not deter him from enjoying the room. He grabbed a towel and let it run under warm water, squeezing the excess and washing his face from all the grime he accumulated from this harrowing day. He grabbed the remote and turned on the tv, hoping that maybe, just maybe, something may still be on through an automatic process.

But nothing. The white static filled the screen. He turned off the tv and opted for sleep instead. That was the original plan. Sleep, rest and get back on the road again in the morning. With that, Dan turned off the light and rested his head on the pillow below, falling off into a slumber. 

Or he at least tried to. Maybe 30 minutes have gone by. Maybe an hour. He couldn’t tell, but the bed was not doing it for him. He couldn’t sleep. Dismayed at this development, Dan sat up, trying to figure out what he could do. He switched sides, tried different positions, splayed his entire body, even laid down on the recliner, but nothing. He couldn’t fall asleep. 

Exasperated, Dan flung himself off the recliner and grabbed some covers and pillows, heading out of the room. He thought he might as well return to the RV if this room wasn’t going to do it for him, but he didn’t need to return empty-handed. As he sluggishly walked towards the RV, Dan could only think about where he could possibly sleep in the RV. The bunker? The couch? Shotgun? The choice was his to choose. 

Finally reaching the RV, Dan gave the door a tug and. It didn’t budge. Another and no movement. Dan searched his person and realized the RV was locked and Jay had the keys. With a frustrated sigh, he turned around and –

“Hands up! Don’t move. Name” a deep voice came from the shadows. 

Dan jumped and froze, placing his hands up like the disembodied voice demanded. They weren’t the only ones here and they might have fallen into a trap. _Fuck!_ Just what they needed.

“My name is Dan and we don’t want any trouble.” _Damn it. There’s no way I can get the gun ready before this guy gets me. Fuck. Fuck. Maybe I should run for it? Or go for the guy? Fuck! But what about—_

“Damn it, Dan, I thought somebody was stealing the RV.” 

_Jay?!?_

“What you doing out here?” Dan asked, finally taking a breath, relieved to see his friend, but annoyed at the close encounter. 

“Couldn’t sleep so I was coming back when I heard footsteps coming from an unknown direction. Hid and couldn’t make it out that it was you and you know the rest.” Jay answered. 

“Same here, but goddamn it you scared me. If I had prepared the gun earlier, I would have shot you.” 

“Well, now I’m thankful you didn’t.” 

“Me too.” Dan agreed. “Come on. Let's get some sleep because I’m pretty sure this standoff took a year out of my life. You got the keys. Right?”

“Yep. Also, dibs on the bunker.” 

“Alright but fuck you.” Dan griped, allowing jay to unlock the door and allow the two them to finally reach sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everybody gets a hug! (Except Hosuh bc he's knocked out)
> 
> Man I want a hug now
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter and Happy holidays to those who celebrate, such Christmas, Hannukkah and more!


	9. Knitted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hosuh's awake 2.0. 
> 
> The man wants full autonomy but his body says no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I wanted to get this chapter out earlier but complications happened. 
> 
> But its out! Its here! I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Thank you for sticking with this! (and me)! :D

_Where am I?_

Rustling in the soft comforters, Hosuh began to prop himself up. The covers proved to be a slippery opponent, as it provided little to no help in stabilizing him. All he could gather was that he was in a bed, most likely the one in the RV. He didn’t remember much before falling asleep. 

_Falling asleep?_

Recounting the small bits that he could remember, he groaned. _Jay._ With a small vendetta, he was riled up to confront the blonde. But the dull pain from his injuries began to flare up. And it didn’t help that he was blind in the dim room, his glasses nowhere to be found. He couldn’t go forward with his agenda unprepared. So, with a flailing of his arm, Hosuh located his glasses on the side, hidden in a little notch. 

And to his surprise, he was met with the sight of a sleeping Stephen. The purple-haired man snuggled a pillow, quite the tight embrace. While his face was overall relaxed, a small scrunch in his brows indicated some concern. His breaths were deep, and Hosuh had to stifle a chuckle to not wake him up, as there seemed to be a whistle caught in his nose, the high-pitched slide ringing with each exhale. _Cute._

Not wanting to wake his bedmate, Hosuh gently rose out of bed and made his way for the door. 

Or he tried to. He overestimated the state of his legs. Thinking they could handle a bit of walking, Hosuh was grossly wrong as he fell to the floor with a thud. He groaned at the mild inconvenience and sighed at the later implication. He couldn’t get up by himself. He would need some help, aka he needed to wake up Stephen. 

“Stephen.”

…

“Stephen.”

…

“Stephen, wake up!”

Annoyed that the purple-haired man barely even stirred, even after all the commotion, he searched around and happened upon his shoe. With no time to waste, Hosuh chucked the shoe at him.

“Ack! What the…”

“Hey, sleeping beauty. Sorry to wake you up, but I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Hosuh chimed. 

Muttering in confusion, Stephen peered around the room with squinted eyes, trying to locate the source of the sound and his pain. Slowly shifting around the bed, Stephen finally came across the body on the floor. And not that he would ever admit, he had to prop himself as close as he could to get a good look at whoever was at the floor, leaning dangerously off the edge with unstable support. 

“Hos… HosUH—” And came Stephen, crashing onto the floor with a thud with a misplaced hand. Hosuh could only giggle in his predicament, offering no source of a smooth recovery. Landing on his forearms, Stephen was able to prop himself from being too hurt. And when his temporary pain had finally subsided, his attention returned to the silver-haired man, full alert. 

“Hos! You okay? How did you end up down here? How bad is the pain? Can you feel—d” He began propping Hosuh into a more comfortable position than being strewn out as he was previously.

“Stephen. Stephen. I’m ok. Simple mistake on my part. Thought my legs had recovered somewhat, but they betrayed me. Just, help me get back on my feet please.” 

Stephen nodded and started working his arms around Hosuh’s torso, trying to bring himself, as well as the man before him, up to a more comfortable position. Once standing, Stephen quickly lifted Hosuh and practically tossed him onto the bed, with a relatively soft landing but it still received a groan.

“That was quick, and all so thank you, but I was going to have you help me out of the roo—HEY!” Hosuh yelped, as Stephen pushed him back onto the bed. He made quick work tucking the man in, as tight as he could as Hosuh was being quite fussy at the predicament. 

“Stephen!” 

“Hosuh, no. You need to rest. Whatever you need, I’ll go and do it for you. Need me to get you something? On it. Want me to kick Daniel’s ass? Say no more, I’d do it gladly.” 

“Stephen, really. I’ll be ok. My legs are just a little sore and the pain isn’t that bad. Give it some time and I’ll be walking again. Maybe with a limp but walking again.” 

Stephen only glared at Hosuh, his eyes full of indignation at this nonsensical insistence. “Hosuh.” 

Hearing his name in such a tone, Hosuh gave up on his request. “Alright. You win. But now you’re stuck with me.” 

“Oh knock it off. You were getting up for something, what was it? I can go get it right now.” 

As much as Hosuh wanted to confront Jay right now, he would have to wait. He would rather do it on his own two feet and alone. He fully believed that Stephen could help get his point across, but this was something he needed to do himself. He needed to let Jay know he had crossed a line and he was livid at what he had done. So, that needs to be put in the back burner. More time to think at least. 

“Well, I was planning on making something to eat and I was going to grab something to help pass the time along. But now I don’t want to tell you or you’re going to laugh at me.” 

“What? No. Come on, tell me. Pinky promise I won’t laugh.” Stephen stuck his pinky finger out, waiting for his recipient to engage. And Hosuh followed through, wrapping his pinky finger onto his and shaking it agreement. 

“Alright. If you could, can you grab the crochet supplies I picked up earlier? I always wanted to try but the stuff was expensive to start out and well, what a better time to learn than the – damn it, Stephen!” Hosuh nudged Stephen, the man who had devolved into a giggling mess, no matter how hard he tried to stifle. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Give me a minute.” With a small wheeze, he continues, “Crocheting? Really? I can get that. So crocheting and what did you have in mind for food?” 

“Alright asshole. Since you think it's so hilarious, join me on crocheting then, Mr. I’ll-Attend-to-Your-Needs. And for food, get me like a bar or some cereal. Nothing too terribly complicated.”

“Hos. Wait, wait, wait, I didn’t laugh though. A couple of giggles sure, but it wasn’t a full-blown laugh. Come on man, you know I’m bad at arts and crafts. Anything—”

“Uh-uh. Should’ve thought of that before giggling, still counts as a laugh to me.” Hosuh said, standing, or rather sitting, firm on his position, adamant that Stephen was going to pay for his minor insolence. But even then, nothing could really force Stephen to stick around. If he wanted to, he could just grab the things and leave Hosuh to his own devices. 

“Fine. I guess that really bit me in the ass. Let go get the stuff. Shouldn’t be long.” And with that Stephen exited the room. 

Hosuh felt that this was a good time to loosen up his restraints, picking at the tucked-in covers. His legs were completely at the mercy of the wrapping, but now they were free to move about, stretching in whatever little ways they can to help ward off the sore muscles and stiffness that had come along. He adjusted the pillows to his liking, firming up to be a more stable support for his back, for they were too soft alone. Finally comfortable, Hosuh waited for Stephen to return with his requested items. 

And still, he waited. A little impatient, Hosuh began to fidget, wondering what was taking the man so long to get the things. They should have been relatively easy to find. He had imagined that nobody packed anything away or the like, so a small scavenge around the bags should have been enough. 

Minutes passed by and Hosuh was ready to take things into his own hands. He was willing to attempt to walk again. Second try might work out better than the first. He was beginning to unravel and shift his body into a standing position when he heard the door open and shut, with a disappointed sigh following along. 

“Hosuh, really?”

Caught red-handed in the act, Hosuh sheepishly returned to his previous position. “Sorry, I was going to check up on you. Took a little long there.” 

“Why yes I did, for it seems I forgot to put on my glasses.” Stephen tossed the bags he had brought in the empty section of the bed. “Even with some misguided arrogance, I got everything without waking the other two, and I am back. And you sir need to stay in bed and rest.” Stephen bustled to Hosuh’s side, tucking-in his legs with the comforters once again, possibly in an even tighter fashion.

Hosuh grumbled at the imprisonment. Just right after he made himself comfortable. 

“Alright Mr. Grumpy-Pants, I brought some breakfast bars and some cereal for your choosing. Take your pick.” 

“You bring any bowls?”

“Shit.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll take a bar. Thanks.” Hosuh fished a chocolate breakfast bar from one of the bags, tearing the wrapper to reach the reward. “And while you’re eating that,” Stephen said, feeling around his side of the bed, “I’ll take a piece once I find— Aha! — Found you!” Showcasing his missing glasses, Stephen placed them on, eyes adjusting to the lens. “Oh, lines, how I have missed you!” 

With his little dramatic piece done, Stephen grabbed himself a bar and began to eat it on sight. Taking his and Hosuh’s trash, Stephen dumped the contents of the crocheting bag onto the bed so the bag could be used for garbage. 

“Alright, so here we are. What the first step to crocheting, ‘Craft-suh’?” Stephen inquired. 

“Oh my god, you dork! Don’t call me that!” Hosuh playfully shoved Stephen to the best of his abilities, somewhat hindered from being planted. “So, first thing first, what do you have in mind to make? I’m going for a hat. You?” 

“Well, Craft-suh, I was thinking about a scarf. I think I look rather fetching in a scarf if I say so myself.” 

“Sure, if you say so, but that seems feasible for you.” 

With a goal in mind, the boys set out the supplies and gathered the yarn that they thought was sufficient for their project and a crochet hook that correlated to them. Grey for Hosuh, purple for Stephen. Opening the tiny guide for beginners, the two of them clumsily made their way through the beginning, in starting the whole process. 

Hosuh’s was shaping up into a decent strip, occasionally readjusting and fixing up the size of the band, to fit his head at the least. Meanwhile, Stephen’s was quite mangled, looking more like a disaster strand rather than the start to a scarf.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding.” 

“I was cursed to such a fate. I couldn’t have all the good looks and the skills in the world combined, or I’d be a triple threat with my personality.” Stephen retorted. 

“Sure.” 

As they continued their crocheting, their banter explored a range of topics, from what they planned to do when they return to Vancouver, things they could do now with no one watching to things that they regret now that they were the only ones left. While all this happened, they heard the hum of the engine turn on eventually and the rumbling of the RV followed soon after. Somebody else must have woken up, but they didn’t want to break the conversation between them. 

Eventually, a silence befell them, as their concentration took over. Just the occasional groans from the minor mess-ups and the slight scritching of the hook on the yarn could only be heard. Finally, there was a break in the silence. 

“Hos. I’m sorry.” 

Caught off-guard at the sudden apology, Hosuh turned his attention away from his hat in the making. “What for?” 

“For everything that happened. I’m the one responsible for the state you’re in. I really screwed up. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Stephen’s voice got progressively lower and the breaks were beginning to become more noticeable. “I’m sorry.” 

“Oh, Stephen.” Hosuh grabbed his shoulder, “Accidents happen, and I know that none of this was intentional. Sometimes bad things happen to good people.”

“But if I was more careful, I could ha—”

“No. Don’t dwell on the past. We all wished we could have done something differently, but that won’t do anybody any good. We just got to focus on the present and try our best now.” 

“Still—” 

“Aah! Come here.” Hosuh pulled Stephen closer to him into a hug, embracing the stunned purple-haired man in an attempt to calm him down, as his pulse was indicating otherwise. “You need to stop overthinking. You get into your own head sometimes. Relax.” Hosuh was rubbing the back of his neck, massaging in a soothing way to ease Stephen out of the tension he felt when finally, he felt his embrace being returned. Stephen wrapped his arms around Hosuh’s torso a bit tight, possibly adding some pain to his experience, but he wouldn’t dare mention to Stephen at this moment. Stephen remained silent, but he held on, making his breaths as silent as possible, hoping Hosuh wouldn’t hear the raggedy exhales that were beginning to make their presence known. Hosuh stayed silent and shifted his hand to Stephen’s hair, tenderly stroking his purple locks. They stayed in that position for a good while. 

“Feeling better?” Hosuh whispered. 

Stephen slowly pulled away from the hug, nodding in response. 

“Want to take a break and greet the others? I’d say we pick this up later in the day.” Hosuh said, looking to the crocheting project of theirs, a somewhat decent hat was in the making, but Stephen’s scarf was looking more like a sock. 

“Yeah.” 

“Alright, let’s go but you got to help me move about.”

Stephen chuckled and made his way to Hosuh’s side, helping the man get on his feet. Feeling stronger already, Hosuh was taking the lead, his legs not giving out as easily and Stephen lagged behind in support, keeping his arm wrapped around his torso, in case Hosuh’s legs did give out. 

Reaching the door, they were met with the sight of Jay driving and Daniel eating cereal in shotgun. 

“Hey, you two. How’d you feel about checking out a national park?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the process of writing this chapter almost had me in the dumps. I was halfway through with it but then my computer crashed and had to restart it. No biggie right? Wrong. The crash happened when i was working on the chapter, which is part of larger doc that contained the whole fic and more ideas of how this was going to go and all. Well, once i restarted, I tried and opening the doc and was given the surprise that it was corrupted. I tried my best to recover it but all efforts have failed miserably and im not paying for a program that may or may not do it for me. So yeah, had to start from scratch on this one chapter, but i liked how it turned out tbh. 
> 
> Im just real sad about all the ideas and directions i had for this story being lost. im just going to have to remember it or go in a new direction. but it shouldn't affect the story too terribly, as i got my written notes and notes on my phone. 
> 
> and thats why, i like going traditional for writing. but whew! chapters out. 
> 
> Hope everybody had a great holidays and i wonder how much more i could get done before the year is over. the decade. 
> 
> ooooooh. 
> 
> also, i was originally going to make this much angstier (i think its angst, im not great at writing it) but then decided against it on the first run, but then i lost the progress and circled back, so here we are, at some degree of angst


	10. Rippling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew takes a breath of fresh air and have some fun in the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everybody! 2020 let's go 
> 
> Was planning on getting this chapter done earlier, but life had something to say.

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, does the tree even make a sound?” Jay asks, an arch in the making in his brows. Taking in the sight of trees among trees, only thinning out as ground met water, he made his way out of the RV. 

An audible groan could be heard from behind, as Daniel climbed down, rolling his eyes. “Why must you be like this?” 

“Because I can.”

Stephen and Hosuh followed shortly after, the shorter one practically hanging from the shoulders of the taller one. After some quarreling, the two went to a particularly thick tree trunk near the RV, with plenty of shade surrounding it. Placing Hosuh there, Stephen went around, collecting leaves and branches that were made into a makeshift support for Hosuh’s legs. After he was done, Stephen returned to Jay and Dan. 

“You’d think there’d be more leaves than branches in a forest, but that’s not the case. Barely had enough to make one pile.” Stephen complained.

“But a pile, nonetheless. And I’m pretty sure Hosuh appreciates it.” Dan replied. 

“He better. Those leaves weren’t easy to find and the trees around here are so tall.” 

“Yeah yeah. Alright, who’s going to join me for a dip in the water?” Dan asked. 

“Not me. Too early in the day to get wet.” Jay answered. 

“Aw party pooper. Come on.” Dan pleaded, but Jay firmly shook his head. 

“Stephen! Let's go!” Dan began taking off his shirt. 

“OH HELL YEAH!” Stephen followed suit, removing his shoes and socks shortly afterward. 

The two were ready in their shorts when Dan began to sprint off, “Last one in is a rotten egg!!” laughing maniacally as Stephen was left in the dust. But Stephen’s long legs brought him to close the distance, despite his late start. “FUCK YOU DAN!” The two continued running onto the shore, as Jay looked on from behind. And as they recklessly leaned forward with all their will, the two were in a for a rude awakening. 

As the waves were receding, the multicolor haired men entered the water as the waves returned, pushing back on their built momentum. Shrieks began to ring through the air, as the water had chilled their very core. From the moment their feet landed in the water, they were doomed. Dan had won the race but failed to steady himself to a complete stop, falling in the end. Stephen found himself stuck to the spot of the first encounter, attempting to get used to the cold water surrounding his ankles. But Dan had other ideas, as he lurched forward from Stephen’s blindside and dragged the man down to his level, to the ice-cold water. Screams and curses cut through the woodland peace. 

_Idiots._

Jay scavenged the shoreside, peering at the coarse sand for its hidden treasures. Dragging his feet along, he eventually found a few rocks to pocket. Satisfied with the clacking sound, he made his way back towards the shore by the others. Grabbing one of his many finds, Jay began to wind up his arm and flung the stone at the water, away from the two idiots in the water. _Seven skips. My new personal best._

He began digging for another stone in his pocket, thinking about how good his aim was, given his recent success. _Let’s see if I can make them shit their pants._ Jay started heading into the water, eyeing for precision to get the stone to skip between the two. 

” Jay!”

He turned around to see Hosuh waving him to come over from his spot among the trees, specks of sunlight shining through the branches as the sun started to breach the clouds above. _He must want to go already._

Jay began jogging to Hosuh, analyzing the greener patches of grass for safe footing for his bare feet. Eventually, he reached Hosuh and stuck out his hand to help him up. What Jay didn’t expect was for him to swipe at it and to firmly pat the ground instead, practically ordering him to sit. Jay could only comply and began his descent to Hosuh’s spot. 

“How are you feeling?” Hosuh asked, adding a bit of a mystic touch to his words, as he gestured to the scene in front of them. 

Looking out into the open area, with the trees surrounding them exhaling with the wind and the water shining and rippling around the two chaotically, Jay pondered the moment until he came to his conclusion. With a soft sigh, “Well, I fee—OWW!” 

Hosuh had stealthily punched him in the arm, landing on its target a little too well, for a solid splat could be heard. “And that’s for drugging me.”

“Ok. Somewhat deserved but I had to do what I had to do.” 

“It’s well-deserved! And you could have just done what I asked you to do. I know you just wanted to do what’s best for me, but don’t force me to do it.” 

“But Hosuh! Staying awake in that condition? It's ludicrous! It's safer and a better alternative to have you sleep off some of your injuries.” 

“That may be true” Hosuh grumbled under his breath, “but it still my decision and I had reasons for staying awake. Never know what could happen. None of us do... For all I could have known, the RV could have gone up in smoke and then I’m just a deadweight to you guys at that moment. I just… I just…” His voice was beginning to shake, “I just didn’t want to lose you guys without knowing. Or you guys regret losing me.” Now barely a whispered, Hosuh revealed, “I don’t want to be the reason that anyone of you guys died for.”

“Ho-ho” Jay comforted in a soft voice. 

“I can’t lose you guys.” 

A silence fell before them, a slight sniffle breaking it but went away as quickly as it came. Jay slowly wrapped his arm around Hosuh’s shoulder, making a semi-side hug. 

With a heavy sigh, Jay said in a low voice, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t take into consideration your view and your feelings. I just wanted you to get better.” He pulled Hosuh into a full hug, “I’m sorry and I see the error of my ways, but please don’t think of yourself like that.” A slight sniffle escaped from the silver-haired man. “We’ll do whatever it takes to keep each other safe. No matter what.” From there, the two broke the embrace and laid back onto the trunk, silence filling the air once again. 

“Besides, we’re way too smart to bite the dust now,” Jay added with a weak chuckle. 

“Yeah. After that horse incident, nothing can take us out now.” Hosuh concurred with a small laugh. With a small shift, Hosuh began to lean on the tree for support, propping himself up onto his feet. “My legs are getting better, so that’s good. And nature’s great and all, but I’m ready to go. And they seem to as well” Moving his head in the direction of the incoming boys from the water, their jeering becoming louder by the minute. “Lend me a hand to get back in the RV?” 

“Yeah.” Jay bolstered Hosuh’s free arm around his shoulders and began walking him over to the RV as everybody readied themselves for the drive ahead. 

— 1 HOUR LATER – 

Jay looked out the window, listlessly rolling over the sights before him. 

_Tree. Tree. Tree. Rock. Tree. Sign._

He had finished up eating a ham sandwich and was now in the dining area alone. Dan was driving and Hosuh was keeping him company in shotgun. The two were talking about some high school memories, as music played in the background from the CD player. He didn’t want to interrupt their trip down memory lane. And Stephen was in the back, finishing up his shower from his river dip. 

Or he was. Its been some time already and Jay figured he would have already returned to the main area by now. So, he figured Stephen must’ve taken a nap. The door was closed and only the rumbling of the RV could be heard. He had to be asleep. 

Thus, Jay returned his attention to the window, occupying his time with an unsatisfying game of I-spy. _Tree. Tree. Water. Tree. Tree. Tree. Rock. Tree._

_Thud!_

The sound caught Jay’s attention and the sight before him brought whiplash. Stephen finally returned and around his neck was a mangled piece of fabric that should’ve been put out of its misery. 

” Hosuh! I finished the scarf.” Stephen yelled, beckoning for the silver-haired man’s attention. To which he successfully received and was given a simple thumbs-up, ruthlessly overlooked in favor of the conversation that he was previously holding. Stephen grumbled at this and briefly planted himself in the spot across from Jay. 

“Stephen, whose great-great-grandma did you wrestle that thing from?” Jay snickered, pointing at the scarf in question. 

“Shut up. Like you can do any better.” Stephen retorted, flipping him off with the bird. He went to the side and scavenged through one of the bags left lazily around the area, finally pulling a deck of playing cards. 

“Hey, play cards with me. Ever play Irish Jack?”

“No, but I’m willing to give it a shot,” Jay replied, signaling to the other man to give him the deck to shuffle. 

—

After three games, Jay had absolutely kicked Stephen’s ass. The first one was a fluke, as he was getting used to the rules and Stephen probably went easy on him. The second one though, he had quickly caught on how to play and advantageously made his moves, leaving the purple-haired man with the whole deck in his hands. The third one was tougher, but he managed to scrape by, frustrating Stephen to his entertainment. 

The boys were halfway with the fourth game when Stephen broke the competitive mood, interjecting with a random question. “Do you remember the horse from target? Three.” He asked.

“Not really, since I didn’t see it. Four. I remember the sounds it made—”

“That’s what I wanted to talk about. The sounds. Did anything sound off to you?” Stephen queried, his eyes narrowing down for Jay’s response. “Five.” 

“Nope. Just sounded like a horse in a target. Six.” Jay replied, adding his card to the pile. 

“You didn’t hear like a record scratch or anything? Something that broke the neighing of the horse? Seven.” 

“No. Combined with all the sounds I was making, the horse sounded like… well, a horse. Maybe it was the wheels of the cart dude. Those can squeal sometimes.” Jay answered. “Eight.”

“No, that couldn’t be it. It distinctly sounded like a record scratch. I’m sure of it.” Stephen held his card, pondering at any other explanation possible before finally placing it down. “Nine.” 

“Maybe it was your mind playing tricks on you. You were stressed and full of adrenaline, maybe something slipped up and heard something wrong.” Jay offered. “Ten.” 

“That couldn’t be it. I know what I heard.” Stephen insisted. “Jack.” 

“Then I don’t know what to tell you. I heard a horse and some crashing. Queen.” Jay doubted Stephen’s account. _A record scratch? Doesn’t make any sen—_

Stephen slapped the cards in the middle. “Ha! I win!” 

Jay peered over the pile of cards and saw the two queens in a row, prompting a righteous slap and the empty hands of Stephen. 

“So, you did. Congrats. 3-to-1 still. Up for another round?” Jay asked. 

Before Stephen could enthusiastically answer, he was interrupted by the front. 

“You guys think credit cards would still work to get gas?” Dan shouted from the front, followed by a nervous chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh am I getting giddy as these chapters start to shape up! 
> 
> Also, i really wanted to get this chapter out earlier but things came up. Went out of town, got sick again, lost my voice since sunday and i still haven't found it, and new years eve shenanigans and all.
> 
> its been busy, but i got this chapter out. hope you guys are safe and that 2020, the year and the ensuing decade is alright
> 
> [also irish jack is quite a blast to play with a large group of people]


	11. Switch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan's got some time for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This is a Dan-centric chapter. If you would rather avoid this because of recent events, a recap of the chapter will be provided in the end chapter notes. 
> 
> I'll explain my position and the future of this story in the endnotes.

_Click._

Dan replaced the gas pump and twisted the gas tank’s cap back on. Closing the small panel, he went to each of the tires, kicking each one to estimate the pressure, finding hearty bounces. And with one final revolution around the RV, looking for anything out of the ordinary, Dan was satisfied for take-off. Now all he needed to do was wait for the others to return from the convenience store. 

And speak of the devil, Stephen and Jay merrily made their way out, their shadows getting longer and longer under the fluorescent lighting. Longer and longer. The boys were chatting about their finds, as bags filled with more snacks snaked around their arms, most likely to last them the whole way to Vancouver. And in Jay’s right hand, a pack of bottles could be heard clinking. Beer bottles, that is. 

“All for you? Or you sharing?” Dan teasingly asked the blonde.

“Oh, this? This will only get us started.” Jay chuckled, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. “Plus, I did my time driving.” He continued forward, motioning Dan to open the door. As he eagerly sauntered into the RV, Stephen followed with his own arms full of baggage, somewhat grumbling under his breath. 

“Yes, yes. And I’ll drive the rest of the way.” Stephen added dryly. 

“Oh Stephen. How kind.” Dan acknowledged.

“More like dealing with the lesser of two evils. Rather drive than deal with Jay drunk. Drunk people are always a hassle.” Stephen began setting his bags down on the table, organizing his snacks as he continued to complain. “I should know. Everybody makes me the DD.” 

“Aw, it can’t be that bad.” Hosuh finally piped up from his seat in the front, smothered in blankets to soften his position. 

“Yes, it can. When they throw up in your car. Twice! It can be pretty bad.” Stephen retorted. Finishing up his end of the bargain, he went to the front, leaving Jay and Dan to deal with the last remaining amount. As he buckled himself in, Stephen went for the ignition, only to find it keyless. ”Dan! Keys!” 

Dan patted his pockets, finding them in the front. With a simple turn, he launched the keys towards Stephen’s direction. And with success, the purple-haired man caught it and started the RV, the rumbling gradually getting louder as the vehicle’s motion became increasingly noticeable. 

“Dan! Could you get me some water?” Hosuh shouted from the front. 

“Yep!” Dan replied and grabbed a water bottle to hand to Hosuh. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

Dan returned to the back, joining Jay at the table whose smirk was growing in size. “You need something too? Out with it.” 

“Oh no. Nothing to report, _Alfred._ ” Jay heckled.

“Haha. So funny. Gimme a beer.” Dan ordered, letting out an open hand to grasp at the air as he waited for the cool bottle to reach him. Jay complied and handed him one. As he started working on the bottle cap, Dan picked up the conversation once again with a question. “So when were you a gas station worker?”

“Summer before college. Nobody else was willing to hire a college student moving out of town in a couple of months and they took the chance with me since it was a chain.” Pausing to take a sip from his own beer, Jay resumed with a satisfied sigh. “Haaah. Unfortunately, I never went back to that kinda job ever again.”

“Ah I see. But why not go back?” Dan asked. 

“Costs. The nearest station was a good 20 minutes away from my dorm and there were other opportunities. Tried phonathon calling but I hated it. So quit that job and went for tutoring. The gig was ok but it helped. Plus, I didn’t really have to drive anywhere. So my gas attendant days were short-lived.” 

“Well, I bet this stop was a blast from the past.”

“Nah. Just did what needed to be done.” Taking another sip, Jay began to lazily lay back on his seat, adjusting his body to conform to the condensed space behind the table. “I’mma nap now.” With that, he faced away from the table, covering his eyes from the adequately lit area. 

“Already? Sun’s still up and you want to nap now?” Dan inquired, but all he received was a lazy wave that could be loosely translated as “whatever.” Dan huffed at this development and left the dining table. 

He tried going to the front to strike up a conversation with Stephen and Hosuh but was immediately shut down. Hosuh had fallen asleep and Stephen shushed all attempts of talking, adamantly pointing at their sleeping companion each time Dan tried to convince him that whispering would suffice. But Stephen wouldn’t budge, eyes straight ahead and hand pointing. Dan was out of luck.

Returning to the back in defeat, Dan sighed as the boredom began to set in. He plopped himself onto the couch, a grumpy scrunch beginning to form in his face. He scanned his surroundings for something, anything, to do. He saw the luggage haphazardly thrown together in one corner and the bunches of bags from the store runs in the other. After some time considering what to rifle through first, Dan finally came to the conclusion of going through the plastic bags. They were out in the open and could easily be searched, so they won in the end.

Being somewhat careful, Dan tried to keep the rustling to the minimum. Lots of snacks were found. He found a couple of CDS that interested him, but he doubted Stephen would let him play anything since Hosuh was still asleep. Nobody happened to bring a CD player. As he went from bag to bag, his motivation continued to die. There were pencils and paper, but he had no artistic talent. Or any inspiration. He thought about scripting for a minute but quickly realized with a sad thought. There was nobody else to script for. He quickly moved the bag out of sight, despairing at the thought he had come to. 

The next couple of bags had cards and board games, something that had excited him momentarily. Yet, no one else would join him. He had only himself and the excitement died. As he moved the bags back, Dan stepped back and pondered at his situation. _I could always take a nap._ Dan shook his head at the thought. He didn’t want to sleep now. He wanted to do something. Anything. But nothing was coming to. As he brought the bags with the writing supplies, he finally gave in. _Maybe I could do a poem._ He started taking out some paper and was looking for a pen or a pencil to write with. He swore he saw them in this bag. But all he could see were a couple of markers. 

_Ding!_

Grabbing a marker and looking towards the sleeping man nearby, Dan had an evil idea. A deliciously evil idea. He chuckled under his breath and began tearing into the package to free the weapon of choice. 

Once ready, Dan decided to test out his subject. With a simple clap, he waited to see any response from his sleeping victim. Nothing. But he did receive a harsh shushing from Stephen upfront. Carefully navigating on the other side, Dan leaned on the table, minimizing his movement and noise as best as he could. Once comfortable, he began to slowly ease Jay into a more desirable position, trying to make his face more accessible. With a small nudge, Dan lowered Jay’s hand toward his neck and shifted his face more towards him. He quickly retracted his hand as Jay had loudly sighed right there and then, but nothing came of it. Thus, Dan began to work on his muse. 

– SOME TIME LATER – 

After grueling in silence, constantly muffling his wheezes of laughter, Dan was done with his masterpiece. Jay still remained asleep, but his face was vandalized. Eyes were drawn on his eyelids, a fake mustache with a connecting beard came below. Cat whiskers littered his cheeks and his eyebrows were much bushier. He was beautiful. 

Satisfied with his work, Dan went for his backpack, retrieving his camera. Readying his position, Dan had snapped a couple of pics of the mustached man, sleeping peacefully. Getting multiple angles, Dan was close to finishing his photoshoot. Then the rumbling had died down and the RV had come to a stop. Dan froze, seeing if Jay would stir from the new conditions in the environment. 

Jay had only shifted but still remained asleep. Dan let out the breath he was holding and returned his attention to the front. Stephen was coming down to the back. Daniel intercepted before he could see his handiwork. 

“Out of the way Dan. Gotta take a piss.” Stephen ordered. 

“Alright, but be quiet. Jay’s asleep too.” Dan informed. 

“No shit sherlock. I figured from the quietness in the back. Now move.” Stephen quickly maneuvered around Dan, irritated at the slight hassle in his primary endeavor. As he got around, his eyes quickly fell onto the sleeping figure and were drawn to the face. “OH MY GO—!” Dan quickly wrapped his hand around Stephen’s mouth to quiet him, slightly failing as the muffled protest continued. 

“Shhh! I don’t need to die right now. I need time to barricade the door before he wakes up.” 

Stephen wriggled himself away from Daniel’s grip, his giggling nonstop but soft. “You might as well take refuge on the roof if you don’t want him to find you. Oh my god, you’re so dead.” With that he took his leave and headed straight for the restroom, powerwalking the rest of the way. 

A noisy groan brought Dan’s attention to the sleeping man once again. He shifted ever so slightly, his eyes lazily opening. “Dan? Why is the RV stopped?” Jay asked with a slight slur appearing at the end. 

Hesitating for a second, Dan replied, “Stephen had to go to the restroom.” He quickly went rigid, waiting for the other man’s response, possibly waiting for the release of death that may momentarily come. He was done for. Just one look and the fury would explode. Dan was a dead man walking.

“Alright.” Jay shifted his position and fell back to sleep. 

Dan finally breathed. _I’m alive. Not for long, but I’m alive._ The bathroom door opened and the purple-haired man came out, rubbing his wet hands on his jeans. 

“Didn’t Jay wake up? I swore I heard him.” Stephen asked.

“Yes, and it’s a miracle. He went back to sleep and didn’t see anything. I still got time.” Dan replied. 

“But that’s no fun. Let me wake him up with a mirror. Make today a little more interesting.” Stephen began heading towards the sleeping blonde, but Dan quickly blocked him. 

“You wake him up, I wake up Hosuh.”

“You wouldn’t.” 

“I would.” 

Stephen could only stare at the Dan, trying to determine how much truth was behind his words. But he didn’t want to risk it, risk Hosuh. “Alright asshole, you win,” Stephen said. “But I want the camera to record your demise.” 

“Sure,” Dan replied. “Anyways, where we at now?” 

“We should be getting close to Seattle now. An hour, more and less. Plus, I was planning to stop there for the night. We could hit Vancouver in the morning. It's getting darker and vision gets worse at night. Unless you want to drive the rest of the night.” Stephen relayed. 

“Nah. We could stay the night in Seattle. It's like what, an hour away from Vancouver from that point? We’ll be good. Alright, I’ll leave you be.” Dan replied. Stephen started for the front and Dan watched, waiting for the RV to get back on the road with its rumblings without a hitch. But before the ignition was even turned on, Stephen slightly adjusted Hosuh, fixing his head’s position as it seems it was awkwardly hanging off the seat as the rest of his cocooned body remained in place. Finally, the RV was back on the road. 

Dan returned to the situation at hand. _Now where to hide? _He looked to the bunker overhead but decided against it. He would be too vulnerable if Jay found him right away. As he looked around, the cabinets were too small, no divots existed and the front provided no leeway. He really was going to have to lock himself in the bedroom. With a deep sigh, Dan made his way to the bedroom, grabbing his camera and bag to lower collateral. With a simple twist, Dan locked himself in the bedroom.__

__Looking around the room, he searched for anything to prop against the door, just in case Jay picks the lock or slams the door open. But alas, nothing was of use. Seeing that he has effectively put himself in a corner, Dan decides to sleep it off. _Maybe, just maybe, he won’t kill me.__ _

____— ONE HOUR LATER –_ _ _ _

_____Bang! Bang! Bang!_ _ _ _ _

____“Dan! Dan! Wake up! I don’t think you would want to miss this!” Jay yells, muffled by the door he stands behind._ _ _ _

____Dan groggily sits up, rubbing his eyes at the sudden intrusion in his sleep. He slips on his shoes, “I’m coming, I’m coming.” As he nears the door, he suddenly remembers. _The drawings. Shit. He’s going to kill me._ “Say, what are we doing? It doesn’t have anything to do with any stabbing by any chance?” _ _ _ _

____“Dan, what are you talking about? Stephen stopped for the night and little did he know, he parked us near a liquor store. Now hurry up or he’s going to get Hosuh out of the shopping cart and move the RV.” Jay replied._ _ _ _

____Dan was hesitant, but he didn’t hear any malice in Jay’s voice. That he let on. All he could hear was the eagerness for alcohol and possible impatience if Stephen was really doing what he said. Against his gut, he decides to move forward and open the door. To which a clean-faced Jay appeared, a giddy smile beaming as the door finally opened._ _ _ _

____“Finally. Let’s go. Stephen, I got Dan out, so I win.”_ _ _ _

____As Jay led Dan out of the RV, he could hear the defeated groans from the purple-haired man as he had hovered over the shopping cart and its passenger._ _ _ _

____“Alcohol! Alcohol!” Hosuh chanted, from his seat._ _ _ _

____“Shut up, Hosuh.” Stephen barked, and started pushing the cart towards the store in question._ _ _ _

____“Aw Stephen, be nice,” Hosuh said, trailing away as Jay and Dan were locking up the RV._ _ _ _

____“Anything happen when you woke up?” Dan asked, beginning to fidget with his hands as he waited. Jay’s face was completely clean. All traces of the marker were gone. And that was either a good thing. Or a bad thing, a very bad thing. On one hand, he could have dreamt drawing on Jay’s face. On the other, Jay could be luring him into a false sense of safety._ _ _ _

____“Nothing really. I ate a sandwich and tried to chat with Stephen but was shushed because Hosuh was still sleeping.” Finished with the keyhole, Jay put the keys into his pocket. “Eventually we parked, and I saw the liquor store and I kinda squealed, waking Hosuh in the process and I essentially received death glares from Stephen since then. But other than that, we’re good.”_ _ _ _

____“Guess I didn’t miss out much then.” Dan kept up with Jay, and as they got closer to the store, the blue-whitish glow of the fluorescents became more prominent. The glaring red letters of LIQUOR were right in their faces. The shutters were partially down as if the store was getting ready to open for the day. But darkness was anchoring itself, pushing the last bits of daylight away to the west._ _ _ _

____Entering the store, the soft chimes of the bell on the door echoed in the store. They saw Stephen and Hosuh, standing in front of the refrigerators, turning their heads to greet them. “Hey, guys! I’m trying to help Stephen choose a flavor to move along, but he’s taking forever.” Hosuh complained._ _ _ _

____“Hey, I’m drinking a bottle or two of Smirnoff at the most and got to make sure the flavor is just right. Now tell me, would you go for a green apple or a screwdriver?” Stephen countered._ _ _ _

____“It's whatever you like. But I am a screwdriver kinda person though.” Hosuh answered._ _ _ _

____“Screwdriver you say? But the green apple might be better. But then I again, I do like oranges bet—”_ _ _ _

____“UGHH!” Hosuh groaned in exasperation, at Stephen’s indecisiveness._ _ _ _

____Jay approached the two and was slowly peeling Stephen’s fingers from the cart. “How about this? Dan, you help Stephen pick and I’ll take Hosuh to find some stronger stuff.” Finally, peeling the last finger, Stephen’s and Dan’s turns toward him, registering what he had just suggested. “Alright sounds good. See you in a few.” And Jay had zipped away, with Hosuh cheering. Stephen and Dan were left dumbfounded but picked up where they had left off, still pondering over which drink to get._ _ _ _

____“So how mad was Jay when he woke up?” Dan asked, finally breaking the silence._ _ _ _

____“Mad? Why would he be mad?” Stephen kept his eyes ahead, returning to his question at hand with little else._ _ _ _

____“You know? About his face. You know?” Dan replied, but he kept it vague, not believing what he was hearing._ _ _ _

____“I know Jay’s face is ugly, but I think he’s already come to terms with it. But other than that? I got no idea what you’re talking about. Now tell me, green apple or screwdriver? Or what about the peach Bellini? That kinda caught my eye now.”_ _ _ _

____Dan was baffled at what he was hearing. Stephen had no recollection of his antics. He saw the face for sure. He even wanted to wake Jay up and let him face his doom at that time. _What was happening?_ Dan couldn’t stay in shock for long, and eyed at the selection in front. After making quick work of what was available, he came to his conclusion. _ _ _ _

____“Why don’t you get the variety pack with the flavors you want? Choose once you get into the RV?”_ _ _ _

____“But I would only have one and there would be tons left.” Stephen groaned._ _ _ _

____“I don’t think you’d have to worry with the three of us in the same space. I know I would take a bottle or two and Jay and Hosuh would most likely join.” Dan replied._ _ _ _

____“Alright. But I’m only drinking one bottle, maybe two, but no more. I ain’t getting wasted like you hooligans.” Stephen griped, as he opened the fridge door and grabbed the box for the variety pack. He placed it onto his shoulders for better stability._ _ _ _

____“Aw, boo.” Dan cackled. “C’mon, let's find the others.”_ _ _ _

____As the two traversed the aisles, Dan looked at the bottles of alcohol that may interest him, tempt him, for a night of fun. The rum aisle looked interesting, but he never had a liking towards it. He grabbed a bottle of tequila and a margarita mix, seeing that it was a promising combo. As they finished the first aisle, they entered the next and were met with a bickering conversation between Jay and Hosuh, slowly getting louder as they got closer._ _ _ _

____“I’m telling you, there’s something weird with these bottles. It should be Jack Daniels, not Jim Dan—” Jay sneaks a glance to the green and purple-haired duo, “Dan, Dan! Come here. Tell me I’m not crazy and that these bottles are mislabeled.” Jay hands a bottle to Daniel, and he peers it over, looking over its label. _Jim Daniels._ _ _ _ _

____“That’s… interesting. I could’ve sworn it was Jack Daniels.” Dan answered._ _ _ _

____Jay clapped his hands, “See? Thank you. I knew I wasn’t going mad.” He grabbed the bottle from Dan to show Hosuh. “Like Hosuh, how could you not know the big name of Jack Daniels?”_ _ _ _

____“I don’t really pay attention to the names. Its just whiskey to me. But is it really a big deal?”_ _ _ _

____“Yes! If it was one bottle, sure possible mix-up typo situation. But for a whole case, bottles, and tags to be mislabeled? Too off man.” Jay pointed out._ _ _ _

____“Maybe it’s the Mandela effect? Like with the Berenstain-Berenstein Bears?” Stephen had interjected himself into the conversation. “Like I don’t know what brand you’re talking about, but maybe this is a case of that. Like for the longest time, I thought it was Berenstein and I refused to believe it was the other way, but I was proven wrong, over and over again.”_ _ _ _

____“Maybe so, but that’s like a childhood thing. Whiskey’s my jam and I know for sure it was Jack Daniels.”_ _ _ _

____“Maybe you read it wrong? The mind is a mysterious thing after all.” Dan added._ _ _ _

____“You know what? Sure. Mandela effect, whatever. As long as it gets me drunk, I don’t care.” Jay turned to Hosuh, restively gesturing to the bottles on the shelves “Pick your poison.”_ _ _ _

____“I’d like to take a look at the rums,” Hosuh answered. And with that Jay, turned the cart around and wheeled Hosuh off to the other aisle, the cart’s clanging echoing in the store. Before he turned the final corner, Jay stopped in his tracks and brought his attention to the two he left behind, “Hey, grab some soda for mixers if you don’t mind.” And with that, he sped away, his shadow getting smaller, lighter. Lingering._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Chapter Recap: The RV is refueled. Stephen is driving from the gas station to Seattle. Dan spends his time in the back with Jay, but gets left alone as Jay falls asleep. Tries to start a conversation with Stephen but shut down, as Hosuh's asleep in the passenger seat. Bored, Dan decides to doodle on Jay's face. A close encounter happened, but nothing comes of it. Dan decides to take a nap after talking to Stephen and barricades himself in the room before Jay's impending wrath. Sleeps, wakes up and Jay's face is clean and Stephen has no recollection of what he had just done. Stephen picks out a light choice of alcohol and joins Dan onto Jay's and Hosuh's argument regarding the spelling of an alcohol product, Jim Daniels/Jack Daniels. Mention of the Mandela effect and conversation is dropped eventually. They continue their run.
> 
> Its been a while, hasn't it? I hope you guys are doing well. 
> 
> Especially given the whole situation and the information that has come into the light from Stephen's video and stream. All I can say is that I am frustrated at the lack of Daniel's response and furious at the dealings that happened behind the scene. But in the end, it makes me very sad and very tired. I just hope that change comes to the channel and that Stephen heals from this whole ordeal. Its just a real shitty situation overall, and if I could, I would run Daniel's ear off, but I can't and now all we can do is wait for a response. If there is a response. But with the expose, I'm already biased and hardened, but when the time comes, I want to approach it neutrally and come to some sort of conclusion. 
> 
> As for this story? I will continue it. We're only a couple of chapters away from the end and this was a project that had really excited me. So I want to finish it. I'm going to finish it. With the situation aside, I would feel shitty if I left you guys, the readers, hanging. This was a form of escape and creativity for myself, and maybe others, and I don't want take this opportunity of finishing a story away from myself or others. 
> 
> I know other writers had discontinued their stories and I completely understand. I hope you find yourself at a better place in the future, any and everybody that happens to read this note. It was an honor to write by your side for this fandom and I hope your future endeavors are successful. I've enjoyed your tales and left kudos as a guest more times than not, but you all have my gratitude. 
> 
> As for this chapter? It was originally supposed to go up last saturday, the day the video dropped about Stephen's departure. I withheld it as I was contemplating whether to continue or discontinue it. And then after a week of going back and forth, I had decided to have it uploaded on Saturday. But then Stephen's stream came along and the 'perception' of Daniel worsened, and given the contents of this chapter, I held it back even more. But now I will upload and continue the story.
> 
> As for the next chapters? The schedule may be less set in stone as I am back in uni for the semester and classes have already kickstarted (i was late to one of my evening classes: rip me). Eventually, my job will start again as well, so my time divided between that and readings/homework, writing may be more sporadic. But the upside is I have regained solitude and peace in my room, and I don't have to keep the work of this story hidden until the sleeping hours of the household. 
> 
> More to come in the future and thank you for reading. Let's hope that 2020 gets better from here on out.   
> I know it may sound sappy, but its an emotional situation.


	12. Inebriated Goofs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen's babysitting some drunks for the night.

Finishing up his business, Stephen starts to jiggle the bathroom door to rejoin the others. _Ugh drinking always makes me need to piss._ As he enters the main area, he’s greeted with the sight of Jay and Hosuh giggling among themselves on the couch. And Dan is nowhere to be found. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Stephen scans the area for any signs of Dan. But to no avail.

“Hey, where’s Dan?”

“No idea.” Jay answered, taking another swig from his cup, “He found the gun and went off though.”

“He WHAT?” Stephen’s eyes shot open at the revelation. With no time to waste, he hurried off to check the top cabinet, where they had agreed to keep the gun in separate pieces and **NOT TOUCH WHILE DRINKING.** As he swung the cabinet doors, instead of facing an empty space, there was an orange Smirnoff bottle, right next to the separated magazine clip.

“Ha! ICED!” Dan shouted as he leapt from his hiding spot in the entrance stairwell. Jay and Hosuh erupt in laughter as they join in the green-haired's zealous actions. Stephen could only groan at the trap he walked into.

“ _Ha ha_ , very funny.” Stephen grabbed the chilled bottle, cool to the touch but was soon fleeting from his hand, as he placed it on the table. “I’m not going to drink it assholes. I already had my two drinks for the night.”

Met with jeers and protests of the others, Stephen continues to hold his ground with arms crossed. “Nope. Not going to do it. No way.”

-

“You guys suck.” Stephen swore, finally giving in to the pressure of the others, “Drink water while I drink this.”. He was kneeling on his right knee, twisting off the bottle cap with the help of his shirt. As he faced off the drink in front of him, the other three started to chant, “Drink! Drink! Drink!”

Finally taking the plunge, Stephen attempts to chug the whole bottle in one go. The citrusy beverage passed through his throat, bringing a burning and bubbly sensation. But it proved too much, as he had quit about halfway, the chug too overwhelming and resulted in him coughing a few times. A collective groan of disappointment rang throughout the RV. Not wanting to wimp out at the halfway point, Stephen continued to chug the rest, finishing the bottle in the second attempt. Cheers and whoops filled the air as his face began to warm up, catching up with the burn in his throat.

Stephen began to stand up but started to feel the effects of the alcohol in his system. A little woozy, but nothing he can’t handle. If he was buzzed before, he was edging the line of being tipsy now, _maybe_ crossed it a little. Finally steady, Stephen went to grab a bottle of water, passing Dan as he prepared a shot of tequila at the table.

“Bottoms up.” Dan blurted out as he toasted to the air and took the shot, his face scrunching up from the alcohol, accompanied by a ragged exhale. Confused at the sudden outburst, Stephen looked about for an explanation.

“The two of them made a bet of which cabinet you would go for first. And you went for Jay’s, so he won and Dan lost, so he’s gotta take a shot of straight tequila.” Hosuh answered.

“And I’m glad you did,” Jay chimed in, taking a sip from a new bottle of Smirnoff, “If you went for Dan’s, I would have needed to take 3 shots of tequila.”

Stephen was bewildered, wide-eyed at the antics. “Why are you guys like this?” He grumbled. “Like, like, is your liver stillalive Jay? And yours? Hosuh? Dan?” He dragged his fingers across his face, not believing the utter foolishness of the others. Hosuh waved off the question and Jay continued sipping from his bottle, his fucks long gone. Turning towards Dan for an answer, he found the green-haired man laying his head on the table, eyes shut and silent. “Dan?”

No response. Jay made his way towards the resting man and began to give a slight shake. Protesting moans escaped but Dan remained in his spot, eyes shut. A sly chuckle escaped from the blonde.

“Finally.” Jay sped off to the bags in the corner, rustling the plastic with no hesitation. As he dug around, Stephen looked towards Hosuh for an explanation, only to find a shrug for an answer. He kept sipping from his water bottle until Jay finally popped up. “Payback time.” A mischievous note tinging his words as he turned around, a marker in his hands. “Any takers before I go nuts?”

“OH YEA—!”

“SHH!”

Lowering his voice, “I wanna go first!” Stephen leapt towards the blonde, maybe a bit too eagerly, quickly snatching the marker away and uncapping it. “I’ve waited for the day to draw some dicks on Dan. And not to mention, when we were in the store, I had to stare straight ahead when he brought you up. I would’ve cracked if I looked at him.”

Stephen scooched himself closer to the sleeping man and started his art. A dick on top of each eyebrow, a pair of dicks dancing on his cheeks and for the final touch, Stephen transformed Dan’s nose into a giant dick. Almost feeling satisfied with his work, Stephen asked, “Any requests Hosuh?”

“Eey, a simple colon and three should do. You know, :3.”

“Affirmative.” Nodding to the request, Stephen inspected the face to find a spot perfect for the :3. _Maybe on the other cheek? On his forehead? Or – I got it, got it, got it._ With a few quick strokes of the marker, the deed was done. Twice. Stephen had placed one :3 on each of the dancing dicks, giving it a slightly odd charm.

“Alright. Alright. Now its _my_ turn, since it was my face that got hit first.” Jay said, breaking Stephen out of his admiration for his work. Scooting away to let Jay have his turn, he gave the marker back and positioned himself in a prime viewing spot, waiting for the show to start. Jay started with a simple coloring of the right eye socket, a tedious process as the squishy area proved to be a hassling canvas.

“Stephen.” He turns around to see Hosuh patting to the spot on his left. Answering his call, Stephen heads over to the sitting silver-haired man. As he gets closer, he sees the red solo cup off to the side. Pointing at it with a quizzical look, Stephen awaits an answer.

“Take it. I’m good for the night.” Hosuh answered, handing the cup to Stephen to throw away. Stephen gladly takes it, preferring to nip the possibility of a spill in the bud. If there was any of the drink left.

“So how many shots were in this coke?” Stephen wondered, discarding the cup in the designated trash bag.

“I dunno. Didn’t measure.” Crossing his arms to help him think, Hosuh answered again, “If I were to guess, it tasted like three shots. Maybe. Idk.”

“Hosuuuh!”

“What? It was good rum!”

Stephen could only sigh at his response, plopping himself next to Hosuh, “I just don’t understand your ways.” Stephen began to splay himself over the couch, lazily conforming to the supporting structure underneath him. As he finally settled in, Hosuh began to lean on his shoulders, joining him in his spectatorship of Jay’s show. Soon enough, a haze of drowsiness combined with the alcohol began to take over, his eyes lazily focusing on the nearly silent action, save for a few blonde snickers here and there.

“Steph…”

Absentmindedly, Stephen comfortably turns his head to Hosuh’s direction, but his eyes still lingered on Jay in the peripheral. With a simple _hmm,_ Stephen lazily awaits Hosuh’s response. And to his surprise, Hosuh closes the distance, clumsily bringing his forehead to Stephen’s with a gentle touch and closed eyes. Surprised but not rude, Stephen refrains from breaking the connection, even when he feels his face warming up, possibly noticeable to the other. So, he just stays and waits.

With a mumble, Hosuh finally breaks the silence, “Thanks”

Finally letting go of the breath that he didn’t realize he was holding, Stephen replies with a soft “no problem,” the tender atmosphere infectious. Responding with a long _mmhmm,_ Hosuh allows a moment of silence to follow. Then a soft humming comes from Hosuh, producing a sweet and slow melody for the ears and for the mind to follow. It sounds familiar to Stephen, but he can’t quite place it. Nevertheless, he lets go of the thought and slowly finds his eyes fluttering shut, wanting to be swayed by the tune falling onto his ears. And so, he does.

The humming eventually fades into silence, enveloping them as their touch remains. But a new sensation begins to arise. The slightest touch of a slithering hand finds its way into his, coaxing a response as their fingers begin to slowly intertwine. Finally catching on, Stephen meets Hosuh halfway, closing the lingering gaps, firmly holding on.

With a content sigh, Hosuh breaks off his forehead and shifts himself onto Stephen’s shoulder. Stephen follows suit, resting his head on top of the silver-haired until—

” Oye! I’m done!” Jay whisper shouted, returning the two to the world. Stirring from their spots, the two of them start heading over to the table, to see the finished product. And with a little help from Stephen, Hosuh standing on his legs to get a closer look, leaning on his support for balance.

Oh, the damage was bad. There was more marker than skin from what the eye could see. With a full mustache and connecting beard on the bottom, the top part of Dan’s face greatly contrasted with the small patches of unmarked skin. Both eye sockets were completely filled in and ‘lashes’ extended, with clown tears streaming down into the beard. In large balloon letters, the word ‘FUCK’ was plastered on his forehead, surrounded and littered by smaller phrases, such as ‘dipshit,’ ‘buttface,’ and ‘shmuck.’ And to help complete the look, squiggles of all shapes and sizes filled up any and all space possible. There was no saving face for Dan.

Stephen and Hosuh tried to stifle their laughs, covering their mouths to quiet their glee. But they failed, as giggles escaped by the dozens, filling the RV with joyous rings and breezy wheezes (mostly from Stephen). Jay gave a few chuckles for his finished product, priding himself at the successful operation. And as the laughter kept up, the sleeping man before them stirred.

“Huh?” Dan began to lift his head off the table, his blackened eyes slowly squinting, adjusting to the light. Seeing the sight before him, he put the pieces together. “Ah shit.” With a touch of his face, the subtle texture of the marker was picked up. He got got.

“Have fun cleaning that off dickbutt.” Jay snickered.

“Screw off. I’ll do it in the morning.” Dan retorted, starting to make his way out of the dining area.

“That was a good laughandall, but we probably all should go to bed.” Stephen added, turning himself to face the other two. “You three” dragging a pointing finger towards the others and then finally to the room, “can sleep share the bed. I’ll sleep in the bunker tonight since I’m pretty sure I can keep myself from falling off.”

“Again.” Added a giggly Hosuh.

“Shu-shu-shush shush! Point still stands! I’m sleeping in the bunker away from you drunks. Capisce?”

Ignoring Hosuh, Stephen turned toward Jay for confirmation at the very least, as Dan was looking at the floor while leaning on the wall. Jay gave a simple nod in his direction, yet his eyes didn’t meet Stephen’s. _Alright._

With that, Stephen started heading off to the room with Hosuh in tow, the walk to the bed becoming quicker and quicker as Hosuh recovered from his injuries little by little. Jay followed behind, giving Dan a hand in making the commute quicker. As they got closer to the bed, finally entering the room, Hosuh’s shoes were strewn behind them lazily, prepping for the slumber. As Stephen helped placed and tuck Hosuh in the bed, he set up the comforters for the other two when they arrived, if they arrived, as the door proved to be a hassle in fitting two stubborn idiots in one go. He sighed at the idiocy and was getting ready to go, close to Hosuh’s side, waiting for when the two idiots finally started to lie down, that way he could take off.

“Stephen.”

Turning slightly, “Yeah HoS—?!?!”

His arm was suddenly grabbed, a firm grip guiding his arm with the rest of his body following in a new direction. Or more like being flung across the reclined man. Surprised by the sudden impact onto the bed, Stephen was stunned at the sudden strength Hosuh exerted to catch him off guard. Then came Dan, tossed by Jay onto his feet, but he eventually shifted off, sprawling across the bed horizontally. But by then it was too late. Jay had come along, settling himself in the last empty space, to the right of Stephen. And before Stephen could prop himself up to escape after the shock had passed, Jay had linked his arm with his and Hosuh held onto the other. He squirms in place, hoping to loosen his restraints, but they only held on tighter.

“Come on guys. I was going to brush my teeth.” Stephen pleaded, hoping the weak excuse may convince them.

“Just sleep dude.” Jay replied.

“But—”

“No buts. You’re sleeping here no matter what.” Hosuh butted in, tightening his hug on his arm.

Trapped by two rocks, Stephen finally accepts defeat. “Alright, alright. Goodnight.” He grumbled under his breath. He shifts himself into a more comfortable position, relaxing his body for the sleep ahead. And acknowledging his defeat, the two around him loosen up their hold. Jay’s arm loosely links Stephen’s arm, while Hosuh still snuggled the other.

As his thoughts slowly melded together, muddling his mind closer and closer to sleep, Stephen found himself gradually conforming his body to the bed space. Sleep has glazed over his mind, his eyelids flickering to shut, little by little. As he shifts his head over, he finds the sweet spot, settling right on the head of the cuddler. He could feel the stray strands of hair slightly tickle his face, but otherwise, he nestled onto his head, the soft cushioning tempting him into a deeper sleep.

At last, he closes his eyes and welcomed the night’s rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter's out and thank you to any and all that read it. 
> 
> Regarding the story, I can absolutely see Stephen being a lightweight. If i can get drunk on 5 bottles as a moderate drinker (im pretty sure i can handle my alcohol), 3 will probably get him. Also, i hate getting iced. I cant chug for shit (hehe projection). 
> 
> Going back to reality, I'm glad that the drama has begun to cool down, but damn Im going to miss this fandom. People will adapt and still create, but that initial spark that brought us together has been lost. But if you got something you want to draw, write, etc., keep going! It was a lovely experience with lovely people and it gave me motivation to create, whether it was this fic, some memes, little art, etc.
> 
> Danplan may have ended or been put on an indefinite hiatus, but it was a memorable time while it lasted. To hoping the future is brighter. 
> 
> See ya next chapter


	13. Checkpoint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew is finally reaching Vancouver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get the feeling that this may be the shortest chapter, but I still hope its enjoyable. 
> 
> Im back from clubbing last weekend and now im writing (now wrote)  
> (haha bad attempt at being funny)

_Clatter!_

“Jay! Every time you hit a pothole, we lose more soup!” Dan shouted from the back.

With a quick look to the back, Jay saw Dan standing over the spilled soup with a towel, a bowl turned upside down on the floor. Returning his eyes to the road, “Don’t blame the driver, blame the road.” 

The early afternoon sun was lazily beaming, the shades of cloud evident on the earth below. The final stretch to Vancouver got to a late start, as everybody slept in from the night before. Dan and Hosuh suffered from their hangover, while Jay was left unscathed from the drinking. While those two were popping headache pills and drinking water, Jay and Stephen had entered a paper-rock- scissors match, to find out who’d be the one to drive and to his demise, Jay had lost.

The current drive to Vancouver wasn’t terrible in time or commute, but there was one thing they dreaded as they got closer. The checkpoint. They had no idea how busy the area was when everybody disappeared, and if worst was to come, they would have to abandon the RV and try to find another functional car in the possible mess of traffic. And even though it has only been a couple of days, Jay had gotten rather fond of the RV. 

Hosuh finally came up to the front, taking the passenger seat. His body was feeling much stronger, walking about the RV on his own but still limited his movements to only when necessary. He already got scolded by Stephen, who tried to lend an overbearing, but nevertheless, helping hand. 

“Water?” Extending his arm with a bottle, Hosuh gave a small shimmy to entice Jay.

“Sure.” Taking the bottle, Jay opened and started to take some sips, shifting his head to the side to keep an eye on the road while drinking. “Thanks for that. Do me a favor and check out the map real quick? We just passed a place called Custer.” 

Hosuh grunted in agreement and started unfolding the map, the rustling unabashedly loud. Once fully extended, Hosuh peered for their location on the map, trying to find any familiarity on their trip. “Alright. I found it and we’re really close to the border. Like less than a fingernail away.” Hosuh held his thumb up for reference. 

“Good to hear.” 

— 30 MINUTES LATER —

The RV was coming close to the vicinity of the checkpoint ahead. A low fog was beginning to settle, blurring out the distance way ahead. Jay slowed down the RV to a snail’s pace. 

“Oi! Idiots in the back! Come to the front and help us out find a path!” Jay yelled. 

The two guys started heading for the front, an obvious huff in their step. 

“What we ‘looking for?” Dan asked.

“Anything that’ll get us on the other side of the border. Luckily for us, it looks like it wasn’t that busy.” Jay said, pointing ahead for their attention to follow. 

“Maybe we can enter through the exit.” Dan brought up, “Its unconventional, but there’s no gate to work with. And from there, we can return to the main road on the other side.”

Jay continued to scan the area, hoping for something easier to deal with, as the winding path was riddled with speedbumps but to no avail. The entering gates had cars blocking the paths, their opened windows giving a faded glare. “Ugh, that looks like our best option.” Bringing up the RV to a faster speed, Jay grumbled at their current predicament. “Anybody want to take over driving?” 

“Nah you got this.” Stephen bluntly replied. 

With a quick side-eye, Jay continued driving, slowing and speeding up as he approached each speedbump. Surveying the stalls around them, the emptiness rang out as doors lazily swung in the wind. Pages of papers littered around the area. Traffic cones blocking off areas were blown down. The ‘FBI’s Most Wanted’ sign filled with faces, the first they’ve actually seen in a long time. The side traffic lights glowing an unsettling red in the thickening haze, never turning green ever again.

Finally snaking through the checkpoint, the boys were in Canada. 

“Now what?” Jay asked, bringing the RV to a stop. “Any ideas of where to go now? Anybody willing to offer their place?” 

“My place is in Montreal, so I’m not an option.” Hosuh brought up. 

“What about we head to the university? They got loads of food and plenty of places to rest and all. It’d be a good place to start with.” Dan mentioned, looking around for the other’s reactions.

Stephen shrugged, “Got no qualms with it.” 

“That works.” Jay agreed and Hosuh nodded in concurrence.

“Great. Off to the university.” Dan chuckled. “The one place I would rather avoid in the summer.”

After the unanimous agreement, a low silence fell. Jay got the RV back onto the main road, dodging the line of cars from the once-open stall. _Did the fog get thicker? Oh well._ Stephen lazily hung around the front, resting himself on top of the passenger seat, playing with occasional stray strands of grey from the passenger himself. Dan headed to the back, fiddling with the empty pots, clashing sounds evident as cabinet doors had swung open. 

“Yo, Hosuh, didn’t you grab some CDs from Target?” Stephen asked. 

“Yeah but I don’t know what you guys like. I got some Beatles, Queen and other artists though.” Hosuh replied. 

“Not as good as Aimer, but they’ll do.” Stephen started heading for the back, the rustling of bags growing louder. “First one I find is the one we’re listening to!”  
Hosuh chuckled at the purple haired’s outburst, “What are you hoping to listen to, Jay?” 

Tilting his head, Jay gave the question some deep thought. “No idea. I haven’t really listened to anything by the Beatles or Queen recently. As long as it's good, I should be fine.”

Hosuh gasped, “Not even the Beatles?! Scandalous!”

“It wasn’t on my radar. My taste in music is—” 

“I FOUND ONE!” Stephen shouted. The conversation halted as Hosuh turned to see the rushing man come to the front, Jay taking little peeks here and there to the back. Some laughter spilled from the front as Stephen tripped over himself in his excitement. 

Dan finally finished putting up the dishes, “Ooh, what we listening to?” 

“Watch and listen.” Stephen finally reached the front, taking the CD out of its case. Pressing the eject button, he waited for the CD to come out. As he adjusted his left hand to handle the case and the disc, he started to motion the ejection’s motion. Grabbing the CD—

_BUMP!_

Stephen lost his balance and tried to steady himself, steadying himself with a full, but outward hand towards the stereo. Jay saw the commotion from the corner of his eyes, grabbing the scruff of his shirt to help the man from falling over. Hosuh grabbed ahold of his arm, trying his best to join on Jay’s efforts.

The radio turned on. 

_“The search for the four men known as Daniel Lim, Hosuh Lee, Stephen Ng, and Jay Ko is still underway. Originally from Vancouver, BC Canada, they were last seen in the airport at Anaheim, California by their friend, Ben Scott. There has been no contact or sightings in the last three weeks. If you have any information, please call 555-426-3220. Once again, please call if any information regarding their safety or whereabouts is found for the sake of their families.”_

Time seemed to stop. Nobody dared to say a word. The rumbling of the RV had become ever so louder, little by little. Jay felt his limbs getting heavier and heavier. His heart palpitating and the others were probably matching in speed. _Missing? 3 weeks?! How?! Where did this mess_ — 

“JAY! THE ROAD!”

Refocusing his eyes, Jay –

_CRASH!_

.  
.  
.  
.

_Crash._

.  
.  
.  
.  
.

_Crash?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading once again! >:D
> 
> Y'all gonna make me cry with the sweet comments from the previous chapters. I know i answer them so late but i try to hold off because answering them is my little reward for finishing a chapter ( to which ill be doing momentarily ;D)  
> ...  
> Now for this chapter? Not entirely sure :)) hehe 
> 
> Pero no, all the streams recently gave off good vibes and i just enjoyed it immensely. I was close in pinpointing Hosuh's and Jay's alcohol preference... so close yet so far
> 
> And Stephen and Gavin no mames theyre so dumb but lovable  
> like fuck they really do share one braincell  
> like bois had me crying 
> 
> alright my ramblings done til next time  
> (ps im drunk atm)


	14. Fighting Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys finally wake up at a hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a long time coming, but now we're here. 
> 
> Also, it started off in Hosuh's pov, but then it went all over the place ._. 
> 
> 'Final' chapter

The strong smell of antiseptic had invaded Hosuh’s nose, stirring him into consciousness once again. As he opened his eyes, a slight haze surrounded his vision, the whites of the room jarring his perception. The bright lights overhead held no remorse for the barely waking man, making him squint away at the intrusion. 

He tried to get up, pushing himself into a better position, away from the lights. But as he did so, he found an unexpectedly heavyweight to deal with, holding him back from fully sitting up. His ears perked up. With a new awareness of this weight, Hosuh had put more force into propping himself up, successfully shifting his body into a more comfortable position than the complete reclined he was in. 

But as he did, the weight, somewhere below his torso, dragged behind and felt uncomfortable. His ears twitched again. Now curious as to where this weight was, Hosuh moved the covers. And underneath were his two legs, but his right one was covered in a graying cast, from his knee to his ankle. Just from looks alone, the bulky item had to be two inches thick, at the very least. As if he just remembered object permanence, Hosuh gave his toes a try, wiggling them to his command. 

They wiggled, but to his regret. The toes were fine, but pain began to flare up under his knee, burning his attempt to a halt. He stopped with a series of unexpected groans escaping his mouth, somewhat startling himself in the process with the small noise. 

“HOSUH!” 

Hosuh finally looked up. A bit too quick, but he saw his friends’ worried faces as he scanned the room. They were all atop of bulky beds, sporting a bulky band and oximeter, and each of them was hooked up to an IV. _Would you look at that?_ Looking at his arms. _I have one too._ Bringing his attention back to the others, the whites continued to penetrate his vision. White sheets, white gowns, white tiles, white ceiling, white drawers, white bags, white doors. White, white, white. The only thing that seemed to give a splash of color to the otherwise bleak room was his friends’ multicolored hair and the slight sunlight, tinged with a bit of red, that tried to escape from the closed curtains, thick with layers.

With a slight giggle, Hosuh finally spoke, “You all look like shit.” 

The others’ faces betrayed them, as they obviously showed the absolute surprise at Hosuh’s choice of words prefaced by some laughter. But as soon as the surprised came in, it left as they followed along, chuckling at the incredible conversation starter. 

“Man, you’re really out of it. They give you morphine during your surgery?” Stephen chirped in between his giggles. The heavy mood that once plagued the room was slowly depleting. 

“That explains the cast.” Hosuh said, gesturing to his leg, “but to tell you the truth, I don’t even remember going under.” 

“Neither can we. Like remembering anything. Don’t even know how we ended up in this room.” Dan interjected, moving his gaze around the room. “Before you came to, we’ve been trying t—”

The door handle on the far-right side of the room jiggled. The boys dropped all conversation, waiting in silence as the jiggling continue. Hosuh narrowed his gaze onto the handle, trying to keep his mind from wandering about. 

“Ah, stubborn door! Why haven’t we done something about this earlier—Ah hello boys! Good to see that you all finally up! Just splendid.” A hearty voice boomed as the broad figure entered the room. Donning a doctor’s coat with a clipboard in his hands and a stethoscope hanging around his shoulders, the doctor looked to be in his middle ages, late forties to early fifties. He was of average stature, but his steps exuded purpose. He made his way across the room, making a stop at each bed to further inspect each of the boys at face value. 

As he placed himself between Dan and Jay’s bed on the other side of the room, he began some chit chat. “So how are y’all holding up?” He checked the instruments surrounding the bed, fiddle with some and left others alone. As he wrote down notes on his clipboard of papers, he let out a concerning _hmm_. “Not very talkative right now, are you boys? But that’s no problem, take your time. It's completely understandable after the kidnapping.” He made his way towards Hosuh’s and Stephen’s side, repeating the same procedures as before. “But at least the color in your faces is returning. Hell, when the police found you tied up in that camper, you were all as pale as this room and babbling incoherently. More talkative than now that’s for sure, but that was probably the delirium showing itself.” Finally checking off for this side of the room, the doctor took himself to the right side of Hosuh’s bed, “You mind if I check your leg?” 

Giving a simple nod, Hosuh started to prep himself for the inspection but was held back by the doctor, “Easy there, kiddo. You shouldn’t move so quickly now. You’re pretty close to a nasty fracture.” As the doctor removed the covers from the cast, he gently shifted the cast closer to himself with finesse, he gave a firm squeeze to the exposed parts of his leg around the cast. “Does it hurt a lot when I do this?” 

Slowly shaking his head, the doctor’s face lit up at Hosuh’s answer. “Alright, that great to hear. Recovery should be smooth sailing as long as you don’t push yourself.” Fixing the covers for Hosuh, the doctor was about to take his leave. “Well boys, I’ll be back later after making the rounds and reporting these checkups. Maybe we can have an actual conversation later—”

_Knock, knock, knock._

The knocking at the door broke everybody’s attention, a male nurse peeping his head momentarily. “Ah Dr. Winslow, you’re still here. I got a note for one of the patients from his uncle.” 

The doctor made his way to the door, catching the name in quick succession and nodding in confirmation. “Ah thank you, nurse. I’ll make sure it gets to him. And is there a name for the uncle?” As he held the door slightly ajar, the nurse was recollecting himself for his next stop. 

“Name’s on the envelope. I got to go, doctor.” And with that, the nurse sped away, leaving an empty space to be closed by the door. 

“I should be taking my leave as well.” Walking to Hosuh’s bed, he handed him the envelope. “Oh and one last question for you. How did you get yourself so beat up compared to the others?” The doctor stood for a second, waiting for a response. 

And Hosuh finally spoke, breaking the silence the boys had held ever since the doctor came in with a slight chuckle. “I don’t… know.” 

With a sigh, the doctor makes for his leave. “It was worth a shot. Maybe it’ll come to you later on.” And with an extravagant gesture pointing to the others, “And maybe we can get you guys to talk next time. Rest now, boys. I imagine after the police’s questioning tomorrow, your families are going to smother you.” With a final wave, the doctor left the room and shut the door, the low clicking ringing out in the silence. 

—

“What the hell just happened?” Jay broke the uncomfortable silence. Only the slight shifting of covers followed as it seems that words had escaped from their mouths. Receiving no answer from the equally stunned individuals in the room, Jay carried on, “Kidnapped? We drove here. There was nobody else around and now, everybody’s back? Just- just- what the fuck?” He began rubbing his temples, trying to make sense of it all. “And Hosuh. What did you mean _‘you don’t know?_ You know, the horse in Target? Hosuh? Hosuh! “

Hosuh wasn’t paying attention. His eyes were glued onto the envelope, the outside world a second thought. Hosuh barely registered his name after a couple of tries, finally looking up at Jay. “I… I—”

“Hey, give him a break.” Stephen butted in, taking to the spotlight, “Maybe it’s better that we get our story together before we let it unravel before us. I mean, who’s gonna believe ‘Oh we drove from California to Vancouver because everybody else disappeared and Hosuh got injured in a horse incident at a Target.’ Like, we have to think this through or they’re going to throw us in the loony bin.” Propping himself to the edge of his bed, Stephen’s legs slightly dangled off the floor. His head drooping and brows scrunched, Stephen said, “We gotta be careful.”

“Okay, you got a point. But when the whole experience is possibly being negated, you kinda panic. But you remember. Dan?” Turning to the green-haired, he nodded and quickly returned to his world, lost in thought and mumbling. “Three out of four. Maybe Hosuh’s still feeling the effects of the surgery.” Looking back at Hosuh, his eyes were back on the envelope, slowly blinking. “If we had evidence or something, I’d feel better about this whole ordeal.”

“…evidence, evidence, evidence.” Dan’s mumbling had grown louder when his head finally snapped up. “Dude! The camera!” As quick as he could with the IV in tow, Dan made his way to the cabinets, one by one, searching for any of their belongings. “They couldn’t have taken our stuff away already.” With no luck, he beelined for the closet. “Bingo.” 

Bringing his backpack back to his bed, he began to rustle through all his belongings. Stephen and Jay trailed behind, surrounding the bed as it quickly littered with random items. “Here it is.” Dan brought the camera out. Turning it on, he went through the motions to reach the pictures. “Aha! Here it is! Jay’s face.” Tilting the camera forward, he displayed the image to the others: 

The image of Jay’s sleeping face, vandalized with black sharpie, showed up on the small screen. “Here’s our evidence.” Then he fell silent, returning his attention to the two. “If…if what we experienced was really real, then did we… really… crash?” 

“I’m not sure…” Stephen answered, “That’s the part that’s blurry for me.” Jay gestured for Dan to hand him the camera, in which he complied. Messing with the zoom, Jay scrolled through the image, inspecting each pixel as if it would hold an answer to their predicament. 

“Yeah, the parts I remember are the screaming and then it's dark after that. And now we’re here.” Dan added. 

_POP!_

“What the hell!” Jay threw the camera back onto the bed, buzzing and cracklings coming from the body and a slight burning smell wafted through the air. The screen was going haywire, gray striking upon the image before them, quickly eating the image before them. Then, it completely powered down, buzzing now silent. 

“Dude! What did you do?!” Dan asked incredulously. 

“I don’t know. I barely messed with it and it started burning to the touch.” Jay retorted. 

Dan grumbled and returned his attention to the camera. With a small poke, he felt for the temperature. Now at a comfortable level, Dan handled the camera delicately, the remains ever so close to falling apart in his hands. Turning the camera over, he opened the battery compartment and took out the SD card. “At least we still got this.” Showing the SD card to the others, it was slightly singed, the small sticker curling on itself slightly, but other than that, the card looked relatively untouched. “If it didn’t get affected, we could probably im—”

 _POP!_

“Shit!” Dan dropped the card before him, the small cartridge exploding in his hand, bits splaying across the bed. “the fuck?” _No way that could have exploded. It wasn’t connected to anything._

“See! It’s not only me.” Jay exclaimed, pointing at the remains. “But still, what the fuck is right.”

“Well, there goes our evidence.” Stephen dejectedly uttered, scratching his head at their predicament. “At least we know we didn’t go crazy.”

A slight mumbling was barely audible, only recognized when silence befell the trio. “…it makes no sense. Doesn’t make sense.” Turning their heads, the looked at their silver-haired friend, whose face was contorted with worry and eyes fixated at the opened envelope at hand. 

Leaving behind the camera, the three of them migrated towards Hosuh’s bed. Stephen quickly made his way to sit by Hosuh’s left side, starting to rub circles into his right shoulder. Jay and Dan stood around the bed, their faces growing in worry as they look on their friend in distraught. 

“Hey, what going on?” Stephen asked, lowering his voice to a soothing cadence. 

Still, in a daze, Hosuh could only repeat, “It doesn’t make sense,” eyes stuck on the letter.

“What doesn’t make sense?” Jay asked, carefully considering his approach. 

As if snapping back to reality, Hosuh finally faced his friends. “The letter. The letter makes no sense. Everything from its delivery to its contents makes no sense. Like it being from my uncle?” Hosuh held the envelope, leaving the letter in his lap. “I don’t have an uncle. My mom has only one sister and her husband passed away already, and my dad is an only child. I don’t have any uncles alive. Nonetheless, an Uncle Bell. And I doubt you guys have such an uncle.” Dropping the envelope, Hosuh grabbed the letter once again, waving it in the air. “And this! Everything in here is like a bad joke. Like, it doesn’t make sense. Makes no sense. makes no sense, no sense, no sense…” Hosuh devolved into mumbles once again, his grip on the letter tightening.

“Hey Hosuh, Hosuh. Stay with me.” Stephen started peeling Hosuh’s fingers from the letter, one by one. As soon as the letter was free, he handed it to Dan, the closer of the standing two. And knowing the amount of pressure Hosuh was using to hold the letter, Stephen replaced the empty space with his hand, enduring the pain in order to prevent Hosuh from breaking his skin. “Hos, you gotta relax.” Resuming his rubbing, Stephen tried to help Hosuh relax, as the knots in his shoulder were becoming more pronounced. 

“No way. No way.”

“What? What happened?” Stephen asked, turning to face the two. Their eyes scrolled along the letter, their faces getting paler by the minute, but still, they remained silent, only the slight rustling of the paper being flipped could be heard. “Hey, spill the beans.” 

“Its… aaah... its umm… so basically, aah, … the situation is, aah fuck… is …” Jay attempted to explain, but he was too scatterbrained to successfully convey his message. And Stephen was beginning to get irritated. 

“Hand me the damn letter, jeezus.” Dan stretched across to hand over the letter, to which Stephen snatched awkwardly with his right, his left hand still in Hosuh’s. 

Silence fell once again, as Stephen began reading the letter. His eyes widened, reaching the same conclusion as the others. Then, his face started turning red. Flipping the letter haphazardly, his huffing was becoming more evident. A slight beeping was becoming louder, little by little. His eyes started to dart between the letter and the two in front of him, filled with hot rage that radiated across the room. 

“WHAT THE FUCK! DAN! ARE YOU FUCKING WITH US?!” Stephen unlatched himself from Hosuh, heading in Dan’s direction, clattering following as his IV was dragged behind. “THE FUCK! ARE YOU IN ON THIS?! ARE YOU RECORDING RIGHT NOW?! DAN!” Stephen furiously grabbed Dan by the collar of his gown, his knuckles turning white as he confronted the green-haired man. “IS THIS SOME KINDA JOKE? ANOTHER PRANK?!? ARE YOU FUCKING WITH US?!?” Dan was pulled to an uncomfortable position, limping in Stephen’s hands practically. “DAN WHAT THE FUCK! HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE FAKE! HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE FAKE!”

_Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!_

“I need backup. We got a Code Yellow!”

Two nurses burst into the room, making their way to separate Stephen from Daniel. One nurse worked on Stephen’s hands, trying their damnedest to separate them from the gown. The other nurse had gone behind Stephen and hauled him off from his underarms, trying to drag him away as his grip was slowly coming away. 

“HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE FAKE!” 

The nurse finally broke the connection between the two, placing himself between Dan and Stephen. With one hand gesturing for Dan to stay back, the other grappled with Stephen’s extended hands, who tried to swipe the nurse away for getting in his way. And with enough distance and obstacles in Stephen’s way, the nurses set their way to drag Stephen back to his bed, even as he screamed. 

“HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE FAKE!” 

They finally got Stephen onto the bed and the nurses struggled to keep him on. “Get the ketamine!” One nurse ordered, leaving himself to wrestle Stephen down with his entire upper body. A quick moment of frantic openings and rustlings could be heard but soon stopped as the nurse found the sedative. Nevertheless, they were drowned out. 

“DAN! HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE FAKE! DAN!”

“Sorry buddy, but you need to calm down.” The nurse injected the sedative into Stephen’s arm and quickly discarded the cartridge to help the other nurse keep him down. But, eventually, the drug started to kick in and Stephen was becoming more relaxed, his screams lowering and slurring, one nurse being enough now. His body going limp, the nurses adjusted him to a more comfortable position from his original attempt of a fighting stance lying down. As the nurses found Stephen’s spirit fading, the nurses started putting on a restraint to keep him down when he came to. 

“sup… sup… posedtobe… fake…” 

The nurses were done restraining Stephen and they turned their attention to the other three, shocked and bodies tense from the whole ordeal. “So, what caused all that ruckus right now?” One nurse asked, leaning on the bed as he caught his breath.

The three of them only looked at each other, shrugging in response. “We don’t know.” 

“Well, surely something set him off. He was fin—”

_KNOCK! KNOCK!_

“Oye! We got a haul of patients from a bad car crash! We need all-hands-on-deck! Now!”

“We’ll be back.” The nurses quickly got back on their feet and with a slam of the door, they had left the room.

The other three were left, bewildered at the whole ordeal. Everyone’s eyes were on Stephen, Dan and Jay standing around the beds, to which it seems that even a small breeze might knock them down. Hosuh sat up in his bed, holding a clump of sheets as his breathing was beginning to even out. Aside from the hums and beeping of the machines around them, not a word was spoken. Silence befell them, nobody daring to speak, wishing to acknowledge the events before them. 

Finally, Dan spoke, tears slowly streaming down his face and his raggedy breathing infecting his speech, “At least we’re alive. We survived.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, at the end of this story, but there are some supplementary pieces that will be added. I can't believe i finished the story but its done. 
> 
> Also sorry for the offline disappearance, writer's block sucks and schoolwork kicking me down while im already on the floor.  
> but i made it back! 
> 
> this was a lot of fun and i hope something gets me writing again. ive really enjoyed all the comments and you guys really brought immense joy to me, just knowing you read my story and enjoyed it. 
> 
> so once again, thank you for reading!!


	15. Uncle Bell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sender of the letter is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first supplementary piece of the story.

The hospital lobby is bustling with all sorts of traffic. Incoming patients stream through the doors and the noise sounds unbearable at first, but it slowly fades into the background. The receptionists at the front all don tired faces, their eyes dulled by work and duty. From the back and forth between their computers and the next patient, the oversight of the whole room is preoccupied. 

Loads of chairs are grouped uncomfortably close. Families try to stick together as they wait for their turn. The kids, with little care in the world, play in the kiddie corner, raucous laughter, and squealing piercing through the air occasionally. The room is filled with people. Tall people, short people, young and old. There’s too many to count and one would rather focus on their tasks than keep an eye on all these people. Surely, they were responsible adults that would abide by the rules and attempt to make no ruckus, right? 

Almost. 

A young man, with a facemask, made his way past the doors, the gateway to all the room of the patients in-house. He wandered a bit, his blue hair bouncing with each step he took until he found the elevators. He looked sharp, his uniform crisp and clean, and his shoes shone with a small glint. With an envelope in hand, he tapped on his thigh until he made it to his floor. But the elevator ride was dragging on, a stop at each floor practically, as patients and nurses and doctors bustled in and out to get to their own destinations. Yet, this man remained silent in the background. He merely needed to wait. 

Finally, he reached his floor. The hallway was somewhat empty, a custodian mopping the floors in the far distance. With a slow pace, the blue-haired man made his way, inspecting each of the doors of the rooms, one by one. Some rooms were empty, others had people in it, one or two at the most. But still, he kept looking, waiting for that sign to show up. 

_Ding!_

Ah, there it is. The sign finally showed, and he found the room he was looking for. Room 21. As tempting as it would be to burst into the room as a surprise, there was an unknown in the room. Can’t risk his cover being blown. So, he decided on the next best thing. 

He walked away from the door, walking aimlessly, slowly around the hallway until he found his target. A male nurse had just exited a room and was making his way down the hallway. The blue-haired man made his approach. 

“Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you would do me a favor? I happen to be… short on time. I have a letter for one of the kidnapped victims, Hosuh Lee. I tried to find his room but I got lost and I can’t seem to remember the room number. So would you be a dear, and possibly deliver this to him for me?”

“No problem, but what is your relation to the patient?” 

“I’m his uncle. Uncle Bell, it's also on the letter. Thank you for your service, but I must take my leave.” And with that, Bell turned around and took his leave.

The nurse looked at the envelope in his hand and the name checks out. He was about to make his delivery when he thought of providing the room number for future reference. For when this Uncle Bell has time and returns to check on his relative. “Hey, sir—”

He looked up and there was nobody else in the hallway with him. The elevator was a good distance away and for the man to reach in such a short amount of time, he would have to have run for it. Yet, he doesn’t recall hearing any footsteps. The nurse was all alone in the empty hallway. And that man left the vicinity quite fast. 

Too fast. Inhumanly fast.

—

A pristine white room is tainted by one corner. A whiteboard of sorts, floating with no supports. Pictures are tacked up with ‘magnets’ and markers of many colors pop up on the board. A timeline of sorts is written in blue; names are in red, and random doodles in green. A bag hangs on the corner, filled with crumpled paper, and more paper litters the floor. A ten-digit number rests in the top left corner, unscathed from any stray marks. And a small clock hangs from the ceiling, its interface stuck on its last screen last displayed: _3 DAYS._ And in the bottom corner, a post-it note lazily clings onto the clock, reading: _new record! :D_

The sliding doors smoothly open, revealing Bell. He makes his way towards the other side of the room, grabbing his facemask and throwing it towards the whiteboard, where it haphazardly catches on a corner, holding on for dear life. The facemask looks normal for a minute, but then the inside reveals some circuit boards and connectors. 

Returning to Bell, he is no longer there. Instead, a short humanoid has taken his place. Green and with eyes too big, too wide to be even human. Small antennas protrude from his hair if you can even call it hair. He slowly starts making his way to a desk, at the end of the room. Making himself comfortable on the chair, he starts up the desk and the wall in front of him opens up. A window reveals the Earth in all its glory. The planet rotating ever so slowly takes up most of the view and it isn’t long before the interface takes its place and blocks the view, multiple messages piling on in a cryptic text. With a little rearranging, the interface becomes more manageable and the system begins to whir back to life. Finally, the creature relaxes and sighs, completing the last of his mission. 

“Well, that was fun. Now, who’s next?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this. One last piece to add and this story will be complete complete. 
> 
> Thanks once again for reading.


	16. The Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The contents of the letter is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second and final supplementary piece to the story!

[FRONT PAGE]

_Dear DanPlan (+ Jay),_

_Congratulations on winning the game! Even though you might have not known it, but hey you still won! And you get to live and so does the rest of your planet! You boys really know how to put on a good show. Usually, we get okay ratings, but this season, the ratings were off the roof! Usually, our hidden-documentary-reality series usually vibes with the older community, but you guys had all of social media buzzing! The horse bit was everybody’s favorite part, even though our CGI was a bit unpolished. But you guys really pulled through. Plus, you really made us work for this show. Especially with that crash at the end, JAY. We were hoping for a cleaner transition, but no, you had to go and crash the RV._

__

_Nevertheless, I don’t know how you did it, but I must commend you all, for even just the talking between you guys, whether it was everyone or one-on-one, had the audience eating it up. Especially between the two lovebirds, oooh. And it helps that Stephen was a crowd favorite._

__

_So, thanks guys, I get to make some more seasons and see if other alien races can make it home, alone in an alternate dimension where they are the last of their kind and have to resort to their primitive technology as you guys did. And with your season, we’re definitely hoping to perfect the formula that should work for us. The previous season was okay in pacing, but the destruction of the planet was probably the saving grace. Our explosives department is really top-notch and knows how to put on a show. And even if we didn’t get to blow up your planet, we still got a good season._

__

_Enjoy your win and the memories that came with it. We got people in the background making sure no trace of our show made it back to your original dimension right now, all you got to rely on is your head, hehe._

__

_Either way, the human season is over and I’m thinking somewhere out of the Milky Way next. We got a couple of pings and we’ll be sure to check them out._

__

_So, this letter is coming to an end and here is the goodbye. Thanks for shouting out to us in that one video you did. Caught the attention of our producer, which allowed for all this to happen. And hey, maybe we could do a winner’s season once we get more winners on the show???_

__

_Alrighty then, bye!_

__

[BACK PAGE]

__

_BOB_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, we come to a close. 
> 
> Thanks once again for reading! I had a lot of fun writing this (when i could) and I hope you guys had fun reading! 
> 
> And reading some of the comments, I saw the parallels to other shows that may have had a similar concept, so I thought it be neat to give my inspo for this fic: 
> 
> FIrst up, we got my dream. Really weird and started this whole shebang. 
> 
> Second, Your Name (the movie), i really liked the concept of communicating with others in different timelines, etc... 
> 
> Jimmy Neutron - the episode 'Win lose & kaboom.' that episode was on my mind at the time as i had recently watched a compilation of jimmy neutron and there was small part from that episode in particular. then i went back to watch the episode later on and yeah, that was an experience 
> 
> one podcast i was listening to was talking about this reality tv show, (maybe it was on netflix, i dont remember) where free people were being sent to prison to see how it really is like. and like nobody else but the crew knew about the original intention of the show, like only the top warden knew, none of the other guards. like they were saying that they were documenting a first-time prisoner's experience but in reality, it was an innocent person and that idea really latched onto me 
> 
> and finally, how could we ever forget, the video BTW, Can you Survive and Alien Invasion? 
> 
> And combine all that together and some thinking and you get this! this fic! hope you guys enjoyed once again. don't know if ill ever write again, but i want to, just got to find my next muse. til next time i guess 
> 
> And thank you DanPlan
> 
> (ps. i got an insta: tora.ty & im thinking about sharing my notes for this story soon...)
> 
> (ps. ps. there may or may not be a timeskip epilogue that may or may not make it out of writer's hell. oh well, i will try my best)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.  
> Don't know how long or far this will go, but I'll try my best.  
> Would appreciate any feedback.


End file.
